Running Up That Hill
by Mmedubarry
Summary: What if Daniel came back a very changed man after Molly's passing? What if Wilhelmina was the one link to the Daniel of the past? Forget the cult story we all saw, this one might be a darker tale of how Daniel came back a changed man and what it will take to find the man he once was.
1. Chapter 1

(Author's Note: This one is a little darker than the stories that I previously wrote. I was a little inspired by the character of Ryan Atwood from the OC, after he lost Marissa. Not sure where I am going yet with it just yet but as per use, should be full of drama. Daniel/Wilhelmina pairing)

Chapter 1

Wilhelmina sat at in her pristine office working away furiously as she did everyday over the past three months, picking up the slack for the other missing co-editor, Daniel. She secretly reveled in the fact that she was a one-woman show, and as far as she was concerned, it was the way it should have been from the beginning, with exception of course of Hartley at the helm of the company. The offices of Mode were different without Daniel. The balance had shifted and Wilhelmina knew that this was fates way of giving her what she always wanted. It wasn't in the complete way she hoped for, but she always did rise to the occasion to make a situation work to her advantage.

Last Wilhelmina heard through the office grapevine was Daniel was away somewhere in the South Pacific grieving in a Buddhist monastery over the passing of his wife Molly. There was a piece of Wilhelmina that deep down sympathized with him. After all, they both were so heavily invested with the former couple Molly and Connor. They were both witnesses to the chaos of events that followed after they both became romantically involved with the former couple. Connor was still missing and Wilhelmina grieved him in a similar way in her most private thoughts, but Daniel literally had to face the death of his love.

The events of the last few months had been a heavy burden on everyone at the office. There was an overwhelming feeling that things had changed and the past days of Mode and Meade Publications would be a memory of the past. With the funerals, FBI investigations, corporate take overs, Wilhelmina trying to float and preserve Mode while fighting Hartley all by herself, Daniel still missing in action, and with Connor still gone with the Meade monies, it was a very difficult time for all involved and invested.

Wilhelmina's gaze shifted from her computer to Amanda, as she bounced toward Marc's desk. It had been a while that she saw such a joyful expression from the bubbly blonde at the office. Her curiosity was instantly peaked. Something was up.

"Daniel's back!" Amanda exclaimed in a high-pitched exchange with Marc. Marc instantly looked over his shoulder to see Wilhelmina's reaction. Wilhelmina's attention was drawn away from her task at hand as she stood to her feet and began making her way to the door.

As Wilhelmina stood at the doorframe, hands clasped in front of her, with the most eerily calm look, she gazed at Amanda with a somber stare as her queue to get back to her desk. Wide eyed, Amanda scurried away.

"Well, as boy wonder decided to grace us with his presence, Marc please schedule some time with him in the afternoon. I would like to take a meeting."

"Yes Willie."

Later that afternoon Wilhelmina marched into Daniel's office with determination. She was hell bent to make sure Daniel understood her position of power saving his ass yet again as he was on his leave of absence. He owed her big time and she made sure to gallivant into his office on that high horse. As she walked in, she took her time standing at the door, observing the man in front of her, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence.

Wilhelmina was instantly taken aback by the man sitting in front of her, _who was this guy?_

Daniel sat in his black tonal suit, his eyes glued to his screen, without even a care that she stood at his door. His once baby face, now covered with manly facial hair, wore a visible scowl and his eyes…his eyes were changed, darker. It was the one trait that always gave Daniel away. His once soulful soft stare was clouded, unfeeling and empty. Even from where she stood she could see they weren't the same. His shoulders were broader, bigger and he was more domineering. As far as Wilhelmina could tell he had been working out noticeably. Daniel's body language was aggressive and not open like he used to be. He looked like he had been to hell and back and was definitely still finding his way back.

"So I see you're back." Wilhelmina began with one hand on her hip and the other resting on the door handle.

"Yup." Daniel didn't look up, just kept typing an email.

"Anything you might want to say to me?" Wilhelmina gave him the opportunity to open the dialogue, to get a better read of the man who sat in front of her.

"Nope." She took two steps into his office and gave him one more chance.

"Nothing at all…"

"Uh-uh." Daniel negated, still typing.

Wilhelmina was annoyed, baffled even at his responses, but more annoyed than anything. He was never a man of few words, and this just rubbed her the wrong way his guttural responses.

She slammed the door shut to get his attention. The smack against the hinges caused the large circular window to rattle and instantly something in Daniel snapped. He could see the staff on the other side of the window shoot their gaze at the sound of the door slamming interrupting their tasks at hand, now intrigued by the exchange between the two editors.

His eyes bolted open and looked her dead in the eye. He began to instinctively breathe harder as though he was ready to attack, a reaction that didn't go unnoticed by Wilhelmina.

"What the hell is your problem Wilhelmina?" He aggressively growled.

Wilhelmina walked toward his desk and stood with her feet firmly planted on the ground, her weight shifted to one side with her arms crossed, ready in her battle stance.

"You are my problem Daniel! How dare you walk back into this office and don't even have the decency to come to me after three months of nothing. No communication, nothing! I bust my ass everyday going up against your mother and her boy toy Hartley and you can't even find the simple words to…"

"To what? Thank you for doing what, your job? You seem to be managing just fine, putting two issues on the newsstands and a third on the way." He dryly offered and looked back at his screen as he scrolled through his emails, not seeing a single word on the screen in his blindness of rage.

This was definitely not the guy Wilhelmina knew of days past. He was aloof, cold, and arrogant.

"How dare you, you egotistical self-serving jerk! I have a lot on my plate right now and I am doing the best I can. Yet again, here I am, saving your ass as you bailed yet again..." She had snapped. His attitude pushed her buttons the wrong way and she ripped into him. Who the hell did he think he was?

"That's enough!" His stood up like a bullet as he roared with his deep voice. Daniel slammed his fist against the glass table, sending a devastating crack the thick glass beneath him. It spread like it had frosted over in seconds.

Wilhelmina's eyes instantly blinked in shock, jumping out of her skin at that moment, at the sound and the image of the aggressive man she once thought of as passive and insecure.

"Go to hell Daniel!" She leaned in and got in his face.

"I've been there everyday for months setting up shop. I've looked death in the face every single day and I'm still here. Whatever you got Wilhelmina, I'm not scared of it."

She was now seething as Daniel got in her face, mirroring her actions.

"Fuck you Daniel!" She turned on her heel as she felt everything growing inside her. She knew she had to leave before her rage boiled over to a point of no return.

"Right back at you!"

As she reached for the handle of the door, she offered with her back to him, "For what its worth, I'm sorry for your loss Daniel" and with that, she swung the door with such force that it bounced off the wall as she turned the corner back to her helm.

Daniel stood there in the same place Wilhelmina had left him, hanging his head. He had no idea how he was supposed to feel but the fact that he didn't care within seconds of what had just transpired, Daniel knew he was a changed man.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Wilhelmina locked herself in her office for the remainder of the afternoon, clearly in no mood to take meetings or deal with the menial staff below her. She was irritated to no end after the little display with Daniel. His rage was off putting. There was something definitely up with Daniel.

Little did Wilhelmina know that this behavior was not just directed at her. Daniel was short with Betty, Amanda and even his mother Claire. No one was aware that Daniel was going to make an appearance at the office that Thursday, or that he was back from his leave for that matter. He hadn't bothered to call, text or write to anyone. Everyone gave him his space and didn't push him as they figured he was just adjusting to life without Molly. _He would bounce back eventually, right?_

In her wind down from her fit of rage Wilhelmina figured she would use the Meade amenities that evening to calm her nerves. A good run on the treadmill always did do the trick with her, but she didn't do it as often as she liked, especially in the last few months with her schedule. At that time of night the staff had already vacated the premises and she knew she would have the whole facility to herself.

Clad in her black sports bra, black tights and sleek runners, Wilhelmina calmly made her way to the cardio and popped up on the treadmill to begin her daunting half hour run. For the first few minutes her feet pounded the machine with vigor, releasing the tension Daniel had burdened her with that afternoon. She focused on her image in the mirror directly in front of her, but she couldn't help but notice over her shoulder a moving form in the weight room.

It was so quiet in the gym when she entered, she thought she had been in the gym by herself, but the clanking of the iron weights confirmed there was someone else in there with her. She halted the treadmill and hopped off and slyly walked to the wide entrance to the weight room and slowly peaked over the side of the wall, not to disturb the person with her presence.

It was Daniel.

She rolled her eyes. He was the last person she wanted to see that evening especially after their last interaction. But she immediately did a double take of the image of the man in front of her.

There he was, bare chested, hanging upside down on the lift bars doing sit ups suspended in the air. His body was ripped, chiseled unlike what she ever imagined he would have looked like under his suits. With every lift he grunted like he was battling somebody or something. Every time he came up the muscles in his back contracted in such a rhythm that it mesmerized her. The glisten of the sweat dripping on his bare chest was surprisingly alluring to her. He looked so powerful. His brutish focus was unlike anything she had ever seen from him before. She tilted her head as she squinted, not believing her eyes, _was that a tattoo on his back?_

Wilhelmina retreated back to the treadmill she had just vacated, not wanting to bring any attention to herself observing Daniel. She was dumb founded. _What the hell happened to him over those three months in the South Pacific? _It was like he was different person, a darker version of the Daniel who left.

She hopped back on continued her run. She knew Daniel had to pass her in the cardio room to leave the gym. Wilhelmina anticipated the moment but in the meantime she focused on her task at hand. She began her run and waited on baited breath to see what he was going to do when he realized she was in there with him. She knew she had the upper hand.

After a good twenty minutes, Wilhelmina had broken a sweat and focused her attention in front of her. She loved the feeling of finding her stride and the clarity it gave her. She was instantly broken from her focus when she heard the free weights clank to the floor as Daniel intensely worked out. Her eyes darted to the corner behind her when she saw Daniel emerge from the other room. He stopped in his tracks as he saw Wilhelmina staring back at him.

Their eyes locked, neither wanting to break the contact and admit defeat. There was something about the look. His eyes were dead, dark, and unfaltering. She couldn't read him, she just watched him in the reflection.

Daniel stood their bare chested, in his grey sweats, and t-shirt tucked into the back of his pants. His heavy steps, his slow deliberate movements, and unwavering stare was a behavior from him she wasn't used to. He popped up on the treadmill beside Wilhelmina and started the machine. Daniel immediately started to run at her pace to keep up with her. Without a word between them they ran in place burning the days events away, side-by-side, staring at their own reflections. She was sure he was going to say something to her, but nothing… not a word. She did notice out of the corner of her eye as Daniel let his eyes wonder over her figure, wondering what he was thinking, seeing her in that state. In all the years working together, they had never run into one another at the company gym. Of all nights, this was the night she figured it would have happened.

Neither said a word to one another. They just ran.

Wilhelmina had swiftly completed her thirty-minute stride and stopped her machine as she reached her goal. Little did Wilhelmina know that Daniel's workout was just his warm up that evening. He watched her from behind as she left, not used to seeing her in her private moments when she wasn't dressed in her suit of armor and heels. Daniel kept running. He needed his focus and his head screwed on in the right place before he made his next stop of the evening.

Just after eight Wilhelmina made her way out the building dressed in a chic black jumpsuit and black blazer, in her sky-high heels she wore earlier that day. As she strolled toward her Town car waiting for her on Madison, she saw Daniel from the corner of her eye in front of her car, climbing onto a motorcycle. Clad in a leather jacket, t-shirt and black jeans she noticed how odd his behavior was. He looked over his shoulder a few times as though he was checking if anyone saw him, as he threw on his helmet.

Wilhelmina jumped into the car. She was strangely intrigued. _Since when did Daniel ride? Seriously, who was this guy?_

Wilhelmina knew Daniel was up to something, she could smell it and she knew when her gut instincts were burning, it usually meant a trail of blood. She had to find out what he was up to. Maybe it could be something she could use for leverage? He was acting too strange for her liking and after this afternoon's display from him, she needed to make sure she covered her bases in case she needed something to hold over his head.

As she heard the rip of the exhaust of the Harley and she instructed her driver to "Follow that motorcycle!"

Daniel rode dangerously quick, weaving in and out of traffic like a mad man. As they zipped through the streets of Manhattan, she noticed that he was entering the exit to the Brooklyn Bridge. Maybe she was overreacting? He did live in Brooklyn with Molly, may be he was just going home?

Driving deeper through the rough streets of Brooklyn, Wilhelmina was confused where he was going. Brooklyn Heights was left behind a long time ago. She watched as the bike pulled into a dark alley, as the headlight was the only thing that illuminated those dark, damp corners as the only source of light. Daniel pulled up beside a grimy warehouse that was falling apart at its foundations. It didn't make any sense to Wilhelmina.

"Turn your headlights off." She instructed the driver not to bring any attention to the Town car.

"Yes Ms. Slater."

It was hard to tell what was happening with the little light that engulfed the street as several the lamps were out, but Wilhelmina watched as Daniel turned the engine off of the bike and retrieved a paper bag from under the seat. Daniel pounded on a steel door in the alley and was instantly let in. _What the hell was he doing?_

"Stay here until I come back." She instructed the driver.

"Ms. Slater, with all due respect is that such a good idea?" The driver feigning concern offered.

"I don't pay you to think, I pay you to do. Now stay here and don't move until I get back. Keep your headlights off. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am."

Wilhelmina stepped out of the car and made her way toward the run down industrial building. She didn't want to go through the alley entrance for her safety so she made her way around the building, gripping her clutch to shield her from the cool wind that autumn evening. The smell of gasoline engulfed her senses. _Where the hell was she exactly? _

Her heels beat the old uneven cobble stone streets in the deep of Brooklyn. She turned the corner and realized the building was some sort of underground bar for a working class, rough crowd. There was a large bouncer who eyed her as she was definitely out of place. There was long line up that snaked around the other side of the building and Wilhelmina was not about to wait. She flashed the bouncer a fifty and he took it without a word, still confused what a woman like Wilhelmina was doing in that part of town at a place like this. He immediately stepped aside from the metal door and let her in.

Wilhelmina looked back one more time at the bouncer, her eyes flashing a brief moment of uncertainty. Something about this place caused her to have second thoughts. She stopped at the top of the staircase and then looked down the steel steps. The black walls were covered in graffiti and peeling literally from the structure. The overwhelming feeling of the base from the heavy metal music blaring through the entranced caused her to breathe in heavy, feeling the vibrations through her ears into her chest. It was as though she was entering the gates of hell. She swallowed hard and made her way down.

Step by step she made her way down, gripping to the rail. Half way down she peered over at the scene below her. It was an underground fight club of some sort. _Was Daniel gambling?_

Wilhelmina made her way around the sketchy joint, looking for Daniel. In its darkness, it was a very unnerving environment. She could barely see in front of her and the smoky air filled her lungs causing her to get light headed. The music blared through the basement echoing in her ears, making her feel like she was losing her balance. As she walked the perimeter of the makeshift steel octagon, she was met with many unwanted stares, and in the case of one pig an obscene gesture by tongue. She was ready to cut it out of his mouth at that moment but she figured it was best to keep a low profile. He was big, broad and could snap her like a twig. Her heels beat the cement a little quicker to get out of there as fast she could as she continued her search for Daniel, but there was no sign of him.

Within moments, the crowd of brutes erupted and Wilhelmina whipped around to see what was going on. Two men entered, with the promise of only one leaving on his feet.

_Daniel?!_

Daniel stood there facing the other man in front of him, jaw clenched, hands wrapped and wore a blank stare of steel. His eyes were dead. He looked eerily calm as the other glared with obvious rage, and was at least a foot taller than Daniel.

It took Wilhelmina a few seconds to process what was happening in front of her. She pushed her way through the crowd to get as close as possible. The men circled for a few moments, and Daniel's opponent landed the first devastating blow to his face.

_It doesn't hurt me.  
You wanna feel how it feels?  
You wanna know, know that it doesn't hurt me?_

Daniel touched his lip as it split open at the force. Seeing the blood he smirked as though it was a joke.

_You wanna hear about the deal I'm making?  
You be running up that hill  
You and me be running up that hill_

Wilhelmina watched in horror. She watched as Daniel landed a few blows with his fists, knees and feet to the man's rib cage and swiftly backed off. Clearly it wasn't his first time. The crowd yelled obscenities and roared at the two men as though they were gladiators in an ancient arena.

_And if I only could,  
Make a deal with God,  
And get him to swap our places,  
Be running up that road,  
Be running up that hill,  
Be running up that building.  
If I only could, oh..._

His opponent came at him with such force that he toppled Daniel and hit his face so hard that Wilhelmina yelled out to him in a panic, "Daniel!" Her eyes watched in disbelief, alive with fear, concern, and horror. As Daniel shook off the ringing in his ears, he was sure someone called out to him and it was a woman's voice. _Molly?_

_You don't want to hurt me,  
But see how deep the bullet lies.  
Unaware that I'm tearing you asunder.  
There is thunder in our hearts, baby._

_So much hate for the ones we love?  
Tell me, we both matter, don't we?_

He looked around the vicinity as he came to and back to his feet.

Then he saw her face, her eyes full of life and alive with fear.

Daniel locked eyes with Wilhelmina in disbelief of seeing her in front of him, in this dark, dark place. He thought for a moment he was hallucinating. But his eyes were still blank, not flinching at her presence. He couldn't rip his gaze from her. In this brutal environment, her beauty was the one thing that willed him back to reality. Wilhelmina shook her head in shock of what was happening, finally registering the severity of the situation.

_You, be running up that hill  
You and me, be running up that hill  
You and me won't be unhappy._

Daniel turned back to his opponent and willed him to come at him. As his opponent came at him full force Daniel caught the advantage and just began swinging with his fists to his face. With every punch he landed his mind began to flash, letting go of the rage, anger, hurt, and loneness he felt. He instantly went to that dark place that plagued him and released a fury he battled everyday. Daniel pounded his opponent, and with one expert swing by sheer power and size, his brut of an opponent clocked Daniel to the side of his head, enough to knock the Daniel off him of a mere moment.

_And if I only could,  
Make a deal with God,  
And get him to swap our places,  
Be running up that road,  
Be running up that hill,  
Be running up that building,  
If I only could, oh..._

His mind blacked out. All Daniel could see at that moment was Molly, the casket, the procession, her ashes, and the emptiness of what his life had become in that point in time. He saw Hartley smug look of defeat, the crumbling of his family legacy, Alex and his moments of victory and even the image of his father turning his back to him, as he always felt he did. Daniel snapped.

_'C'mon, baby, c'mon, c'mon, darling,  
Let me steal this moment from you now.  
C'mon, angel, c'mon, c'mon, darling,  
Let's exchange the experience, oh...'_

Daniel ambushed on his opponent with such precision as he hit him with all his strength and speed. Daniel unleashed with such a force of agility and swiftness between his opponents face, ribs and torso causing the man who physically had the advantage to topple over. He couldn't stop beating him in his fit of rage. He kicked him when he was down and saw nothing, until he felt himself being separated and declared the victor. As he came back into reality he instantly looked for Wilhelmina, sure he saw her mere seconds ago.

_And if I only could,  
Make a deal with God,  
And get him to swap our places,  
Be running up that road,  
Be running up that hill,  
With no problems _

Wilhelmina watched wide-eyed, paralyzed in shock at what she just witnessed. These demons within Daniel ran deeper than anything she could have led on or imagined. Her shock and fear caused her to bolt out of there faster than how it all shifted to this surreal experience. Within a flash, Daniel lost sight of her.

_'If I only could, be running up that hill._

[Lyrics Courtesy of: Running Up that Hill, Placebo]


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

[Author's Note: Chapter has some dark moments – a little intense- fair warning]

Wilhelmina bolted out of that gutter hell hole as fast as her Manolos could carry her. Her heels beat the uneven cobblestone back to her town car in a fury to get back to the safety of the city as fast as possible. She had seen too much that evening. As she turned the corner of the warehouse she couldn't shake the feeling of a presence behind her. In the silence of those dark streets, she heard the echo of a whistle and she sped up her steps in response. She didn't like the feeling she got in the pit of her cavity.

Wilhelmina looked over her shoulder and saw the same repulsive brut from inside the club following from be hind her, the same pig that gestured to her in the most disgusting manner. She saw him just a few steps behind her and her instincts immediately told her to start running back to her car.

The car was gone.

With a few seconds to spare, she whipped her head around to see if it had been somewhere close to no avail. The force of his grip unsteadied her feet. His large menacing hands grabbed her roughly and his sinister voice mocked her "Where you going sweetness?" as he pushed up into her personal space.

"Let me go!" She tried to break his grip, as her voice was forceful and stern.

His response was to by push Wilhelmina into the dark alley. He forcefully threw her up against the clammy brick wall with enough brut strength that she could feel the uneven bricks drive into her flesh painfully. His size was cowering. She was like a small doll in his grip. The hollows of her insides vibrated at the force of his throw and the instant soreness she felt from the blow caused her body to go into shock. He violently gripped her neck and spat "Look at me sugar. Its not often I get a pretty piece like you." His sneer and monstrous tone was enough to for Wilhelmina to feel the bile come up in disgust as he came dangerously close to her face.

She disobeyed his orders and chose to look to the ground as she swallowed the fear in her throat. Wilhelmina was afraid if she looked up she would succumb to the terror of the magnitude of the situation she found herself in. She decided it was better to not see, to not hear, to not speak.

"I said look at me you bitch!" He yelled in her face with one hand pinned around her neck, forcefully squeezing against her tender flesh and the other around her waist as he slammed her against the wall again. Her chest rose and fell in the most uneven pattern as she started to panic.

"Please let me go! Help!" She yelled for some attempt to get someone's attention on the street.

Nothing.

He cruelly slammed his hand covered her mouth, removing it from around her waist and held her to muffle her attempts to draw attention to that dark cove of darkness. She instinctively bit down on the sensitive flesh of his palm as his rough attempt to cover her mouth caused her an opportunity to break free of his hold.

"You fucking bitch!" Within seconds, Wilhelmina had no idea what happened. It all happened so quickly.

Her perpetrator struck her with such force that she hit the ground with such speed that her palms scathed across the pavement. Her body bounced against the pavement causing her body to go into enough shock that she had to try to catch her breath. It took her a few seconds to realize she had been thrown to the ground. In all the chaos she heard a loud echoing noise. She heard the loud deliberate thuds of a fist making contact with flesh and then a crashing breaking a pile of wood, like a body being thrown into a pile of crates. There was another person there with her. It was a man and he was beating her perpetrator to the ground with such force that all she could hear was the sound of pounded flesh and grunts of pain.

He reach out to Wilhelmina and picked her up gingerly not to hurt her. He lifted her from the ground and got her to her feet. He tenderly touched her face to look her in the eye and make sure she was ok, that no permanent damaged was done to her.

"Wilhelmina, you ok?"

It was Daniel.

"I'm ok" she nodded furiously, wide eyed still in shock over the last few moments. She searched his eyes seeing the concern and intensity as his hands rested on her face. She repeated, "It's ok Daniel, its fine. I'm fine."

He nodded to her and said "We got to get out of here, quick before some discovers us." Daniel picked up her clutch from the ground threw it in the compartment of his bike. He backed the bike out of alley and switched the ignition roaring it to life. He handed her a helmet and she jumped on it without a second thought. Wilhelmina wrapped her arms around him and held on for dear life as Daniel took her back to a place far away from the gates of that hell in Brooklyn.

As Daniel ripped through the streets of Manhattan, he pulled up to Wilhelmina's building, trying to get her home as quickly as possible back to a safe place. As he pulled up against the curb he turned the ignition off and noticed she was still gripping his waist, at their halted state. She must have been in a state of shock. Daniel touched her hands clasped together gently to release from around him. He hopped off the bike and stood on the sidewalk as he removed his helmet and placed it on the spot he just vacated. Wilhelmina mirrored his movements, removing hers as well.

His face was battered and bruised and starting to swell from the events earlier that evening. Daniel turned his attention to Wilhelmina who was paralyzed on the bike, staring into nothing in front of her. Nothing made sense at that moment. He noticed the welt on her face where she was struck and the glossiness in her eyes. Daniel offered his hand to help her off. It took her a few seconds to register his gesture and then placed her hand in his. He examined the damage to her skin and as he extended her hands to take a closer look, they started to pulse as the blood rushed to the tender flesh.

"C'mon. Let's get this cleaned up." She swung her leg over too tired to fight him after everything that happened. He grabbed her belongings and followed her up to her condo.

They entered Wilhelmina's place in silence, neither finding the words for what just transpired mere moments ago, both still coming down from the whirlwind of emotions and afterthoughts. Wilhelmina walked to the kitchen and offered Daniel a seat at the breakfast bar, as she pulled out a chair out for him to sit.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'm going to get some first aid supplies."

He nodded and let his eyes wander around the quietness of the apartment, a far cry from the chaos he found himself in the past few months.

As she returned, she gingerly sat beside him and placed a bottle of whiskey between them and a first aid kit. Watching how methodical he was as he set up his supplies, Wilhelmina poured them both a drink. Daniel began to soak the cotton pad generously, concentrating on his task. His movements were deliberate and expert. He opened his hand for Wilhelmina to place her hand in and when she did, his deep voice drawled, "This may sting, but it will only be for a second." She downed the warm whiskey before he placed the pad down on her hand and sat there as still as a statue bracing herself.

She winced at the feeling of the rubbing alcohol cleaning the sensitive flesh of her palm and fingertips as it was ripped open in various places. He placed some polysporin and then veiled her hand in a thin layer of gauze to allow it to soak into her skin. His tender touch was comforting and so was the silence between them. Witnessing the damage Daniel could inflict on another human being hours ago, watching him be so compassionate and gentle with her caused Wilhelmina to really look at the man who was in front of her. She still couldn't read his eyes beyond the concentration he was showing her. Daniel repeated his actions on her other hand. Wilhelmina sat in silence glad to be in Daniel's presence and glad that he was there when she needed someone most.

He reached for her chin and tilted her face to the light so he could get a better look at the scrape against her cheek where she was struck. He tenderly moved her hair behind her ear and examined her. Daniel soaked a cotton ball in alcohol and gently dabbed the spot where the blood had dried in the shallow gash. There would be a small bruise but it thankfully required no stitches.

As he finished up with her, he took a long sip from his glass she had thoughtfully poured him and said, "You should be ok. Just make sure to put some of this stuff on your face and some in the morning on your hands and it should heal pretty quickly. You shouldn't need the wraps on your hands by morning. I should uh…get going. It's late" He stood from his seat, not wanting to overstay his welcome especially after the eventful evening.

"Sit Daniel." Wilhelmina deadpanned.

He immediately retreated back to the chair, finding no reason to fight with her as she had been through quite the ordeal. There was no need to antagonize her, so Daniel did as requested. She re-poured their glasses and then got up and went to the sink, soaking a brand new rag in warm bowl of water. She returned back to Daniel and stood in front of him. She slid his jack off his shoulders feeling the softness of the cotton of his t-shirt beneath her sensitive fingertips, causing her hands pulse as the rush of blood and nerves were antagonized again. He shook the jacket off his arms and looked up at her to get her attention, "You don't have to do this Wilhelmina. I'm fine."

"Ring out the rag." She couldn't do it because her hands were wrapped up. Daniel did as he was told and handed it to her.

She gently started wiping the dried blood on his lower lip and under his nose, cleaning up the trail of destruction on his face. Wilhelmina's other hand held his chin as she steadied his face. Their closeness was devastating obvious to Daniel. He could smell the sweet remnants of her perfume with how close she stood in front of him.

She cleaned below his eyebrow with the shallow split near his temple. Then she moved her attention to his hands, the same hands that saved her that night. Daniel was covered with the evidence of dried blood from the man he protected her from. She wanted to erase that moment and any ruminants away from Daniel, as the blood on his hands was literally in protection not in vain. She wiped at the tape marks where his hands were bound up from the fight, trying to wash away the memory of the events of that evening. The destruction to his body was evident and her gentleness was disarming to him. It had been months since he felt a caring touch and peacefulness that he used to take for granted now knowing what a fleeting feeling that truly was. Coming from Wilhelmina, Daniel sat in awe of the moment.

She disinfected the open wounds and came closer to him as she examined each spot, making sure Daniel was taken care of the same way he did for her. It was the least she could do. Daniel watched as she searched his face as she completed her task. Being taken care of in that way was a feeling he thought he would never feel again, "Thank you Wilhelmina" his deep voice drawled.

"You're welcome."

"I should go, it's getting late." Daniel began gathering his belongings and headed toward the door. He stopped in his tracks when he heard Wilhelmina say "Thank you Daniel. If you didn't show up when you did…"

Hearing the desperation in her voice he immediately made his way back to her as he dropped his belongings on a chair.

"Hey, its ok." Daniel's deep thoughtful voice gently offered as he bravely brought his hands to her face for comfort. "I'm glad I found you when I did. I uh…would've never forgiven myself if something happened to you tonight."

"Its not your fault, it's my fault…" Wilhelmina shook her head in denial, fully knowing she put herself in that situation because she needed to get the upper hand yet again.

"No, it's not your fault Wilhelmina." It was the most Daniel had conversed with another person in months in such a genuine way. For the first time in months, he felt like himself again.

"Can you stay with me tonight?" Her request was something she didn't expect out of her own mouth, but she didn't want to be alone.

"Sure."

"Ok."

"Can I just ask a small request?"

"Yes?"

"I need a shower before I head to bed."

"Of course. I think I even have a pair of Connor's old sweats somewhere stashed in my closet. Let me get you set up for the night."

Daniel nodded at her as she retreated to her room and emerged shortly with towels and a pair of sweats. She pointed him in the direction of the bathroom and Wilhelmina went to turn the bed down in the guest room.

Wilhelmina retreated to her room and changed out of the clothes from that eventful evening, wanting nothing more than to burn them, like she wanted to burn the memory out of her mind. She too jumped in her shower, too tired to notice the bruises on her back and down her side from where she forcefully hit the ground, starting to purple up. Wilhelmina slipped into her black silk nightgown, but couldn't look at her own reflection that night. She covered herself with a matching robe, tying the belt it constrictingly tight to sooth the unwavering feeling in her gut. A soft rapture at her door broke her thoughts as she made her way to answer Daniel.

"Hey" Daniel said, standing at her door bare chested in the sweats that once belonged to the man she called the love of her life, who was no where to be found.

"Hi." Daniel couldn't help but notice her beauty, a face free of makeup, no stilts on her feet, and even with a flaw of a bruise she still managed to captivate his train of thought.

"Which?" He started pointing to the doors nervously behind him as to where he should be going.

"The door directly behind you."

"Thanks, I didn't want to rummage through your place…"

"Its fine, don't worry. I set everything up for you. There is a bottle of water by your bed and if you need anything let me know."

"Its fine. Thanks Wilhelmina. Well, Goodnight." Daniel now stood with his hand on the door handle, taking one more look at her to make sure she was ok.

"Goodnight Daniel. Thank you." Wilhelmina nodded with a small smile and retreated behind her bedroom door.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

[Author's Note: Thanks for all the feedback and reviews guys! Enjoy!]

She could feel his breath on her face, the aggressive rise and fall of his chest, the massive hands squeezing her flesh like a boa constrictor, cutting off her ability to breath, and pressing her in the cold bricks. It was like everything slowed down but her heart beat so erratically that she could feel the adrenaline pulse through her veins. It was the strangest feeling, all her nerves were elevated, but her body was paralyzed in fear. She knew that there was nothing she could do because of his size. With the first rip to her clothing….

Wilhelmina woke up in a cold sweat.

It was just a nightmare.

It took her a few moments to gain her bearings, to feel the clammy feeling of cold sweat on her chest and back, to realize she was in the comfort of her bedroom, and that there was no one in there with her to hurt her. As she brought her hand to her chest to steady her breathing, she felt the brush of the soft bandage.

Wilhelmina looked down at her hands realizing that it had been a nightmare but the events of the evening earlier were no dream. The bandages were a very real reminder that that in her shallow sleep, her mind replayed the events of that evening, torturing her with the 'what if' scenario. Wilhelmina looked around her bedroom. It was just after 2am. She bolted out of her bed.

The door creaked open as she slowly moved within the small crack not to wake Daniel. Wilhelmina shivered in the cool air as her body still wore the sheen of the cold sweat from her nightmare. She crossed her arms around her body as she tip toed through the large guest room around to the other side of the bed and climbed in next to Daniel. The small lamp next to Daniel had been on. His body was clearly physically exhausted, falling asleep with the bedside lamp on. He lay on his back, his taught chest peacefully rising and falling, a far cry from the man she saw earlier that evening. Wilhelmina gently lifted the covers and slid in, trying not to wake Daniel. As she started to lie down next to him, she leaned over his body to turn off the lamp, steadying herself with one hand next to his head and the other reaching over to switch off the elaborate lamp.

Daniel instinctively and abruptly captured her by her wrists and swung her around onto her back, pinning his body over her. Even in the softness of 1000-thread count sheets and the most luxurious mattress, the pain she felt caused her to gasp at the pain of her sensitive flesh. The bed below her felt like the brick wall beneath her. His eyes were violently glaring at her as though he was about to attack. He breathed through his nose severely. Wilhelmina's breath caught in her throat in shock at the abrupt movement. She swallowed hard not sure what Daniel was doing, rattled by his reaction. It wasn't until a few seconds that she realized that whatever demons Daniel was battling, they ran deep. Daniel stared into her eyes with such intensity it took him a few seconds to realize it was just Wilhelmina. She watched as his stare softened and his grip loosened instinctively. He rolled off her and ran his hands down his face, perching his body into a sitting position staring into nothing, talking himself off the ledge in his thoughts. He reached for the bottle of water on the nightstand and polished it off in his nervous state.

Wilhelmina stared up at the ceiling, not looking over at Daniel afraid she would turn to stone if she did.

Daniel reached over the nightstand and turned the lamp off. He turned on his side to face her, stilled in the silence. He watched her profile, her eyes wide eyed still staring at nothing above her, the rise and fall of her chest mesmerizing him in the steadiness of her breathing. In the darkness, all was hidden. The bruising was melded into the shadows of the room, the silence was a comfort, but the scaring was very much evident. His eyes travelled along her arms, seeing the faint bruising from her assailants fingers, to the small exposed part of her neck where he couldn't tell if the purpling of flesh was a shadow or a bruise, to her face which wore the small scratch on her cheek. He then brought his gaze to her eyes, which even in the darkness Daniel could tell were filling with pools of tears. Her hands rested on her abdomen over the down filled comforter, her body language stiff and uncomfortable in her own home.

He watched as the person who he had thought for years to be the strongest person he knew, start to fall apart. Her resolve gave out in front of him. She turned on her side, coming face to face with Daniel, her bandaged hand resting on the pillow and her eyes wide as saucers coming down from the thoughts running through her mind. Somewhere in their session of silence a single tear escaped her eye and trailed down her nose, Daniel caught it immediately with the gentle touch of his of his fingertip, as though it never existed. Somewhere in their unspoken conversation, Wilhelmina saw the first signs of the old Daniel come back, the caring, gentle and good-natured man. His hand rested by his face, mirroring Wilhelmina's body language. It was met with her placid and unsure touch. She rested her bandaged hand on top of his, as though to repay his kindness, as she slipped her fingers through his. Daniel ran his thumb against the softness of the bandage in comfort, trying his best not to aggravate her tender flesh. He watched as her eyes closed, trying to concentrate on the lulling sensation of movements.

In the silence the two broken souls lay hand in hand, both comforted knowing that they weren't alone in this ugly world anymore, and not having to have to fight their own demons in the darkness any longer.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The warmness of the room caused Daniel to stir. His body felt like it had been mangled. Everything was stiff, his back, his legs, his hands. Something felt strange. The bed beneath him didn't feel like his, the sheets he was wrapped in didn't feel like anything he was used to, and the warmness beside him was a far cry from the common feeling of loneness he had experienced over the last few months. It was the best night of sleep he had in months. As his eyes started to flutter open, Daniel instinctively reached his hand to rub his eyes open, but his fingers were linked with something.

Daniel and Wilhelmina hadn't moved from the spots they feel asleep in that night. They remained hand in hand. Even after Wilhelmina awoke first moments earlier, she didn't want to rip away from his touch.

He opened his eyes to be met with Wilhelmina's gaze. It took Daniel a couple of seconds to register all the events that led him to that particular spot that morning, and how he ended up sharing a bed with the woman he once despised. Her eyes were calm, yet stern. He couldn't read them but he knew that docile exchange was what he needed that morning. Realizing that their hands were still linked he brought his gaze to them as he huskily said, "What time is it?"

"Ten thirty."

"I'm so sorry Wilhelmina, I intended to leave before you woke up. I didn't want to disturb your day." Daniel broke the exchange and started to stir to get out of the bed. The air was so cool compared to the comforting warmness he found sharing a bed with Wilhelmina.

"It's fine Daniel. Rest. I'm not going into the office today."

He lay back down on his back and stared at the ceiling above, a little nervous in the light of day laying beside her. "Yeah, I guess neither am I with this face, don't really want to explain…"

"Back for half a day and you're already ditching responsibility. I guess the old Daniel is in there somewhere." Wilhelmina tried to make a joke.

"Yeah." He scoffed and snickered. It was good to laugh again after the months of hell he was witness to. Her turned his attention back to her, "He's in there somewhere, deep down. How are your hands?"

"Ok, I guess. It's my body that feels like it's been run over by a truck." Wilhelmina lifted herself to a sitting position, exposing her back and left side to Daniel unintentionally, as her backless black nightie revealed the evident bruising.

"Wilhelmina, your back…" Daniel reached a hand to her silky skin that was darkened at the hands of a vial excuse of a human being. He ran his fingertips gently not wanting to aggravate the sensitive flesh, from her shoulder down her back eliciting goose bumps down the trail of his fingers in the cool air of the room. She sat perched against her legs crossed in front of her.

"I can hide them, its my face and neck I'm more worried about."

"No, you still look…ok." He wanted to say something else rather than 'ok' but had stopped himself. It wasn't appropriate.

But in Daniel's mind, her beauty, her face, her eyes… it was what saved him last night from being sucked into the depths of darkness in that portal to hell he found himself in the undergrounds of Brooklyn. He was mesmerized by the feel of touching another person so softly again. It was like his body was aching to feel that human connection again.

"What happened to you Daniel while you were away?" Wilhelmina looked behind her shoulder at Daniel laying on his side, his hands trailing off her skin.

"What do you mean?" His eyes met hers.

"Really?" She dryly retorted, calling him on his proverbial runaround.

He sighed deeply and returned his gaze to the sheets on his chest trying to find the right words. He settled on "A lot of things I don't care to discuss right now."

"I mean, clearly that wasn't your first time. Does anyone else know?"

Daniel swallowed hard and responded, "No."

"How can you voluntarily put yourself through that massacre and keep going back for more?"

"It's the only thing that makes me feel alive again."

Wilhelmina turned to face him now and decided to talk some sense into him.

"Daniel, this is insane! You can't keep putting yourself in the line of fire for a cheap thrill. One day, you won't be so lucky to walk out of there on your own two feet."

"Why do you care?" He looked up to meet her concerned gaze. He snapped uncharacteristically. His eyes went dead again.

"Excuse me?" Wilhelmina's resolve was starting its rise, his attitude was rattling her cage of patience.

"What were you even doing there in the first place?" Daniel challenged back.

"Well, you were acting so strange yesterday and I was…" She had nothing to hide, she was Wilhelmina Slater, she was going to tell him like it was.

"You were looking for something to hold over my head."

"Not exactly."

Daniel snickered self servingly, almost arrogant in his execution. "Bullshit Wilhelmina! You forget I know you better than that. I guess you didn't factor in the consequences to your actions yet again…. Typical! Except this time it would have been you to pay the price of your own actions." He coldly snapped.

Her eyes widened in rage. Wilhelmina threw her legs over the side of the bed and stared to make her ay to the door in a huff.

When she reached for the elaborate boudoir handle, she fumed "Fuck you Daniel! Get your shit and see yourself out of my house!"

The door slammed as she retreated behind it, enough so that all the frames, art and windows rattled on their hinges.

In the lightness of the day, the scars of the previous night were evident, raw and real. His thoughts immediately went back to the early hours of that morning when he lay face to face with her in stillness. Daniel covered his face in frustration and groaned into his hand. He had to learn how to control his rage and snideness as he realized the one ally he had in this warzone of emotions, pain, and loneness he just managed to drive away. He realized at that moment he didn't want her to walkaway from him, he couldn't handle it.

Daniel made his way out the bedroom looking down the long corridor of her vast apartment.

"Wilhelmina!" he knocked at her bedroom door furiously, figuring it was the place she would most likely be, hidden in the privacy of closed doors. "Wilhelmina, open the door! I'm sorry I was such an asshole. Please open the door. Wilhelmina…"

"WHAT?" She barked at him still enraged.

"I'm sorry, I was completely out of line. But I'm just a little fucked up adjusting still…and…I … look you didn't deserve what I said. What is done is done. I meant what I said last night. I would have never forgiven myself if something happened to you, regardless of why you were there. I don't give a shit, I'm just glad you are ok and I got to you when I did."

She just watched as he spun his gears. Her eyes softened. Daniel immediately reacted seeing the change.

"Can I see your hands please?"

Wordlessly she placed them in his and he started to unravel the bandages with care. Examining them, he offered, "As I suspected, you don't need these anymore let the air heal the rest."

All Wilhelmina said was, "You want coffee?"

"Yes."

Daniel followed her to the kitchen and offered, "I'll do it, you sit, just tell me where everything is. You hungry?" Wilhelmina watched as the battered man in front of her bumbled around her kitchen. His bare chest wearing the battle wounds of his own doing, he looked so masculine and standing in front of her pristine kitchen was kind of peaking her interest as too why he was so hell bent on catering to her.

Wilhelmina wordlessly obliged and let out a big yawn.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"I could eat, but I don't have much. My housekeeper usually shops on Sundays. Why? You want to have breakfast with me?" She asked intriguingly playfully.

Daniel shrugged. "Look, maybe it might be nice to have the company. I mean, we were doing ok back there until I decided to declare war, and since I am already here, why not?" Daniel waited on baited breath as he started to fill the coffee maker with water. It would have been nice to break some bread with someone that he had a level of comfort. After months of loneness, he was secretly hoping she would oblige.

Wilhelmina cocked an eyebrow and dryly offered, "Give me the phone. What do you want to eat?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

[Authors Note: Thanks for all the reviews and feedback as always! You guys are amazing : )]

"So are we going to talk about it?" Wilhelmina drawled in a cool monotone as she watched Daniel standing at the end of the breakfast nook shoveling food in his mouth.

Daniel stood silent as he looked up at Wilhelmina and took another bite of his bagel. He chewed as he lowered his gaze back to his plate and nervously stabbed at his fruit salad trying to avoid her question. She sat facing him staring daggers with her feet propped up on the stool beside her.

"Daniel…"

"Some things are better left unsaid Wilhelmina."

"Ok…how about we start with an easy question, like are you going to continue doing what you are doing?"

"I don't know."

"You know I liked you better when you were an open book. You just made things so much easier for me. C'mon level with me, don't you think I deserve an explanation…"

"When did you ever like me? I never got that memo."

"You think I can't read through you're cheap theatrics to avoid my question?" her tone and eyes expressing annoyance at his coyness.

Daniel sighed exhausted, "May be I should go."

"And maybe I can call your mommy to come pick you up so you don't get into anymore trouble young man…"

"Cute…you made your point! I don't care if you tell anyone. I figured it was only a matter of time before you held it over my head. It's to be expected." It didn't matter to Daniel any more, he was just tired of it all.

"What's with the tattoo? I never took you for the type." Wilhelmina tried a different tactic.

"Guess people change. After going through something so soul shaking in such a short period of time and at such an intensity, I thought it would be a tribute to what I had with Molly. This way we…or what we had…lives forever. Had it done in Bangkok."

"Bangkok? I thought you were at a Buddhist monastery in Tibet." She questioned with a quizzical look on her face.

"Just for a couple of days."

"How did you end up in Bangkok?"

"Wilhelmina, I don't really want to talk about it." Daniel walked over to the sink and started to rinse his plate.

"I just want to understand what led you to what I witnessed last night…that's all." She stared at his perfectly sculpted back and shoulders. She watched his moments and even under the veil of bruising she still appreciated his specimen. She stared at the tattoo across is shoulders in tribute.

Daniel turned around and leaned against the counter. He just stared a hole through her watching to see if she started salivating at the thought of getting an edge over him but she sat there with the most genuine reaction he had ever seen out of her. Wilhelmina stare wasn't her typical glare, it was soft and unnerving to Daniel. He thought about it for a few seconds and decided that he carried the burden of the secret for too long. He figured Wilhelmina had already seen the worst of it and maybe releasing the secrets he buried for three months would somehow mend the broken parts of him he still didn't have answers for.

"Ok. Where do I even start…um" Daniel crossed his bulging biceps across his chest and began "Well I left New York with the full intent to carry out Molly's wishes, to scatter her ashes in a tranquil garden in a Buddhist monastery. I was there for a few days trying to mediate after the fact when I realized she was actually gone, I mean I didn't even have her urn anymore. She was really gone. So I was dealing with the whirlwind of everything that was happening and I don't know one day as I sat there this rage bubbled up uncontrollable from within when I was at my hotel. I broke a lot of shit in that room and I was kicked out. It's like I would black out and forget how I got from one place to another. I left Tibet because I just couldn't take it anymore, and I wasn't ready to go home so I took the first flight available and flew to Bangkok. I was there for six weeks and it was like that city swallowed my soul. Everything I felt was no longer a factor. I did a lot of fucked up shit. You name it I did it. One night, still not even sure how it all went down but, a gang of thugs were hassling me at a bar and I blacked out and apparently I beat three of them close to death, got arrested and spent a few nights in jail. I don't wish that experience on anybody now looking back but at the time I was numb, didn't give a fuck if I lived or died."

"How did you get out?"

"Well from what I could understand I got off on a technicality as the cops were trying to bust that crew for months and I basically handed them over to them. It was so corrupt that even I still don't understand why I was let off so easy. The charges were just dropped. Long story short the bar owner of where everything went down was an underground fight club promoter and martial art master. He trained me for weeks, eighteen hours a day and I won a few fights. For the most part, I was dead inside, nothing hurt me. Even when I felt physical pain it was momentary and it was those fleeting and split second moments that I still knew I was alive." Daniel shook his head and looked at the floor almost ashamed to look up at her. "Wilhelmina the shit I have seen and done I'm not proud of but it was in a strange way… it was cathartic in the most sick twisted way. I knew I had to get out of Bangkok or I would eventually be sucked into that darkness and I would never come back. I got hooked up in New York with this guy who knew my trainer in Bangkok and you know the rest you were there last night."

"How long have you been back in New York?"

"Almost a month." Daniel shrugged his shoulders.

"And no one knew?"

"No."

"And you've been going to that fight club…"

"Like two times a week. It's the only thing that make me feel alive again, even if it is just for a moment."

"And how do you feel now?"

"Different."

"Different how?"

"Look I told you enough, can we drop it now?" Daniel leaned his hands against the counter and insisted.

"No, I want to know." Her voice was calm as she tried to figure out the man in front of her.

"I don't think you would appreciate it if I grilled you like this. Enough, ok!" He was starting to get agitated and the edge in his voice was starting to become more evident.

"No! Daniel you have to stop doing this shit if you are going to be my partner at Mode. I have to be able to rely on you and trust you!" Wilhelmina sternly asserted.

"After last night…you still doubt you can trust me?"

Wilhelmina didn't know how to respond. The words caught in her mouth and nothing came out. She thought about the same man who last night protected her honor, the man who looked after her in the most delicate way, and the man who provided her comfort without question or hesitation. She instantly regretted how her last statement came out. She tried to back track, "I didn't mean it like that. Look all I am saying is…"

"You know when I saw your face last night in the crowd it was the most alive I have felt in months. I didn't see anyone but you. You're eyes…they were the most beautiful things I have ever seen. They were so expressive and so full of emotion. I connected with them in a way that I haven't been capable of with anyone in a very long time. You're face is what saved me. You are the strongest person I know." Daniel cut her off and decided to dig deep down and open his heart to her. May be if she knew the truth of what he really felt last night she might be more apt to trust him.

"Don't kid yourself Daniel...it was fear you saw in my eyes." She swallowed hard admitting her weakness, bringing her human spirit to the surface and her eyes to her plate.

Daniel crossed the small distance to the breakfast nook and stood across from Wilhelmina, with nothing but the counter between them. Daniel leaned in and rested his arms beside hers. "Do you even know what you did when I helped you off the ground?"

She turned to face him and said, "No, what? I don't remember. It all happened so fast."

"You looked me dead in the eyes and with this unbelievable control and grace you said to me that you were fine, like nothing happened, like you tripped or something. Any other person would have been rattled, incoherent but not you…you're this fortress Wilhelmina, even when you're down, you're up within seconds. You are an amazing woman."

"To be honest, I can't remember when the last time was that I felt that guttural pang of fear, defeat and helplessness. It was something so raw. I mean even if I think about it now, I can feel the pit of my stomach react. Its like my body rejects those feelings, its unnatural." She shook her head as a chill ran down her spine. She continued, "I am forever indebted to you. Name it Daniel, and it's done."

"No Wilhelmina. I don't accept. I am just glad I was there when I was." His voice was so deep, thoughtful and calm. He turned to face her, their faces mere inches apart.

Wilhelmina cleared her throat and said, "Well, regardless, I will find some way to re-pay you Daniel for what you did. I think what you need now is to do is to accept all that has happened to you and start to find some normalcy again. You need to move on. May be coming back to Mode full time would be good for you, it can help you deal with the resentment, anger, loneness and channel it into work. I mean its worked for years for me."

"May be you have a point." He stood up and started to clean up on the counter below him.

"Its not a may be, I know I'm right. I always am. I can't believe I am saying this but I will be your ally through this, through Hartley, you're mother, your demons just don't let me down at Mode. I need you there, focused. Can you do this?" Daniel stopped what he was doing and considered what she was saying.

"What like a guru?" He joked.

"Something like that…No more brawls like a caged animal?"

"Agreed."

She raised an eyebrow at him and sassed, "You have rage issues, go to Hartley's office and lock the door you got it? Take it out on his overcompensating ass."

Daniel snickered and nodded as he smiled at the woman in front of him. His old enemy now became the woman who would run up the impossible hill with him, beside him, in support of him. He saved her life yesterday and here she was willing to help save him from himself.

"Thank you Wilhelmina."

She nodded in acknowledgment and smiled faintly.

"If you're not sick of my face yet, what do you say you and I…I don't know, do something?"

"Like what?" Wilhelmina was almost afraid to ask.

"Well, since we're both like wounded animals, do you want to maybe head to my place in the Hamptons and just chill out?"

"Like for the weekend?"

"Yeah. I mean clearly we're capable of not killing each other…and things are different now, I mean were civil, friendly, right?"

"I guess. I mean I don't want to be cooped up here all weekend and I don't want to leave the house with this gash on my face."

"So that's a yes?"

"Yeah, ok what the hell, it might be a good distraction…I'll go pack an overnighter. But its not like a cottage is it?"

"It's a five bedroom mansion on a beach Wilhelmina." Daniel dryly offered.

"Thank God!" Wilhelmina handed Daniel her plate and was off to pack.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

[Authors Note: Thanks again for the R&Rs! This story is a little different than my other ones. The pace is a little slower because its more comfort and exploratory. Hope you enjoy night one in the Hamptons.]

Their drive up to the mans in the Hamptons had been a relatively quiet one. Both Daniel and Wilhelmina still had a little bit of tension between them, even after the events of the last twenty-four hours, however the silence between them couldn't be described as awkward. It was almost a comforting silence. Here they were, enemies over the past three years, discovering one another as people and not adversaries. In between these moments of silence they talked about music and memories associated with certain random songs that came from Daniel's iPod. They talked about cars and restaurants in east Hampton and mutual people they knew on the scene. In those quiet moments they both admired the beautiful early autumn scenery they passed. The trees began their change as the colours almost danced as they passed. The sun was just beginning to start its set and the sky danced with shades of purple and pink.

As they pulled up into the drive way a wide genuine smile came across Daniel's lips. Wilhelmina couldn't help but notice his reaction as the gates parted.

"What?"

"Nothing, its just nice to see this place again. I have a lot of great memories here. Hopefully you'll see why."

There were massive maple trees that lined the long driveway, in the most stunning shades of vivid reds and golds, and the perfectly manicured grounds were a visual treat to the eye. It was good to see an abundance of foliage again out of the concrete jungle of the cold city. As they pulled around on the gravel driveway a portion of the house revealed itself. It was constructed of grey bricks, white posts and a wrap around porch that overlooked the beautifully lined maple tree driveway all the way around to the back view of the ocean. The shiny red door was a shabby chic touch Wilhelmina couldn't help but think. It looked like a house ripped right out of the pages of chic housing magazine.

Daniel turned off the car and jumped out to get the door for Wilhelmina. She was half way out when she realized he came around to open her door and gave him a small smirk at the gesture. He gave her the keys to unlock the door he walked around to get the bags out the back of his Range Rover.

Wilhelmina shuffled with the lock and flipped the lights on in the house. It was a sea of white. She always knew white was colour because that mansion had every shade of white the human eye could recognize. Everything was accented in birch, maple, shades of grey and crèmes. Several white French doors and windows lined the walls letting in the most beautiful light from the sunset. It was lovely. It was decorated in a French country motif, a style of décor she always secretly loved and always wanted in her own home but her condo was too fabulous and just wouldn't fit in the city especially her being such a formidable woman as she was.

"So, what do you think?" Daniel's voice came up from behind her as she stepped through the threshold.

"It's great."

"So you want the grand tour?"

"Sure."

"By the way, why did you back two full suitcases, were only here for two nights?" Daniel said as he struggled with her oversized suitcases.

"Because I'm fabulous."

Daniel rolled his eyes and sighed at her response as he pushed past Wilhelmina, "C'mon let me show you around. Feel free to make yourself at home."

Later that evening, Daniel was lounging around the living room, fussing with the fireplace trying to start a fire. He was dressed in a tee shirt and flannel pants as he poked around and blew into the pit to breathe some life into the fire. Wilhelmina came down the stairs and immediately Daniel looked over at her as she made her way over to his form perched on his knees. Dressed in white cashmere lounge pants, a white tank top and cashmere sweater, Daniel looked at her from head to toe with a puzzled look of shock and quipped with a very serious and concerned tone, "Ok who are you and what have you done with Wilhelmina Slater?"

"Shut Up. It's chic, and it's the Hamptons. If I came down in juicy couture sweats, then we would have a problem." Wilhelmina sassed and passed him and gently kicked him with her foot as she passed him to get to the kitchen. He liked seeing her somewhat relaxed and not wound up and constrictingly intimidating as she usually looked in the city. Daniel followed her form to the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast bar as he watched her explore.

"You hungry?"

"A little."

"There's not much for now, just what I brought up from the city. But we can go into the city tomorrow and do some shopping. I'm defrosting some steaks in the sink but I doubt I'll be able to make them tonight."

"It's fine Daniel. I guess I will help myself in the wine cellar. A liquid dinner is just fine with me." Wilhelmina made her way to the door in the kitchen that led down to the basement cellar. Daniel followed her down the cold stone steps and ran right into her from behind as she halted in the darkness waiting for her eyes to adjust. As he bumped into her he grabbed her waist so she wouldn't fall. In the coolness of the dark room, they both felt a heat grip their chests the contact of their bodies and instant goose bumps down their skin. Daniel flicked on the lights against the wall as he still held her.

Daniel offered a very awkward, "Sorry."

They made their way into the cellar and Wilhelmina marveled at the collection. Her reaction was like a small child walking into a toy store. She wondered why Bradford never brought her to the house all those years ago, and why she had no idea the Meade's never led on they had such an extensive collection. It was definitely something to brag about. It was a collection worth a few hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"Daniel this is incredible!" Her voice echoed as she made her way deeper into the beautifully kept cellar. She ran her hands against the various necks of the bottles as they lined the walls and cabinets. Daniel stood at the door leaning against it with his arms crossed, watching the joy light up on her face, knowing how much she loved wine.

"Thank you. It's actually a hobby of mine. I don't really talk about it but I had this built about seven years ago and I just started collecting from around the world. I have wines from Italy, France, Argentina…" He asked as Wilhelmina started reaching for a bottle.

"I had no idea you were such a connoisseur" she looked over at him a distance away.

"It's my little secret happy place. Molly wasn't a big drinker of vino and I don't really bring anyone to the house."

"So this is your house? Not your family's house?"

"No, its mine. I was actually going to sell it when we ran into the financial trouble last year, but I just couldn't part with it."

"I can certainly see why." She said as she explored. Daniel was pleased at her reaction.

"There's something about this place. And I couldn't sell it with this collection here. I kept this place for myself. No one really comes here, not Alexis or my mom, and certainly not my father when he was around. It's actually really mine. It's the one smart thing I bought with my trust fund in my twenties. I burned through most of it, but it's the one piece of real estate I own that's just mine. Besides, there's another family house in the obnoxious part of the Hamptons. "

Wilhelmina snickered and said as she reached for a bottle of Italian wine, "Well, I'm certainly impressed."

"May I make a suggestion?" She nodded and watched as he came towards her. As he walked over she could feel her abdomen tense, but she couldn't tell if it was because of Daniel or the coolness of the cellar and the change in her body temperature. He placed a hand on her back and extended his other arm as he reached for a bottle over her head. He pulled out a bottle of Monfortino vintage. Daniel stood mere inches from her as he brought the bottle down and wiped his hand over the thin veil of dust. His low baritone voice said, "It's a red from Piedmont, the smoothest red your lips will probably ever taste. It's a very deep palette, you'll love it. It's one of my favorites. It's a vintage from 1998. Bought a case last time I was in Italy."

Wilhelmina swallowed hard as she listened to his deep voice echo through the room and she slowly brought her gaze to his eyes. Daniel looked down as he met her stare. It felt like the air between them became thicker, like something was noticeably changing but neither could pinpoint what it was. Their eyes locked.

Daniel cleared his throat and broke the spell, "Let me grab another one, just in case. This way we don't have to come back down."

They sat on the porch facing the blackness of where the ocean met the sky, full of stars lighting it as though they were diamonds dancing in the sky. For a September evening it was uncharacteristically warm, unlike last night. The sound of the ocean was a comforting sound after the chaos of the last twenty-four hours. The two bodies sat in silence just listening to the crash of waves against the shore, even though they couldn't exactly see it happening, they knew the waves were there. Wilhelmina took a sip of her glass as she lay outstretched in the plush lounger and broke the silence, "This really is incredible. Great choice Daniel."

"Thanks." He tapped his fingers on the base of the glass.

"May be I should ask Hartley to transfer you to the food and wine magazine on the sixteenth floor."

Daniel chuckled. "Wouldn't you like that?"

She smiled and said, "Actually, as much as I enjoyed being a one woman show, I realized that having a partner is actually…."

"What?"

"Not that bad."

"Is Wilhelmina Slater implying that she likes having Daniel Meade around?"

She looked over at him and dryly said, "Don't do that. Don't speak in third person."

"Why? Does Wilhelmina Slater not like it?"

Wilhelmina picked up a grape between them that lay on the platter of cheese and crackers and threw a grape at him and hit him dead in the eye with quite some force.

"Ow!"

She laughed like a five year old "Direct hit!"

"That's not funny!"

"Yes it is!"

"That really, really, hurt!" He whined.

"Please! You got punched in the face by a man twice your size last night and your telling me a grape hurt you enough that you're now all of a sudden a suck!"

"When you put it like that, No!" Daniel picked one up at threw it at her, hitting her in the chest and with a thud it fell between her cleavage. They both watched as it happened, almost as though it was in slow motion. As it disappeared Wilhelmina looked up at Daniel and Daniel stared at her. They both burst out laughing as Daniel still held his eye pathetically.

She fished in her top as Daniel winked and blinked trying to regain normal vision, and then through the grape over the porch into the bushes. Immediately and with intensity Daniel yelled at her "What are you doing Wilhelmina!"

"What? Why are you freaking out?"

"Don't throw food! You'll attract bears!"

"Oh my god! I had no idea! I'm sorry, go get it!"

"You go get it! I don't want to be eaten by a bear."

"Well neither do I! You're the big burly man, you go get it! How close do they get to the house? "

"Wilhelmina…there are no bears in the Hamptons….I can't believe you fell for that!"

"Fuck you Daniel!" Wilhelmina got up and huffed back into the house, sliding the French door with force Daniel yelled as she entered back into the house. "Don't go…I'm just kidding come on! It was just a joke!"

Wilhelmina sat on the couch in the living room in front of the fire that was still burning as she put the TV on, annoyed that he played her for stupid. She never liked jokes like that. As Daniel came into the house and pleaded with her, "C'mon, don't be mad. I'm sorry! I was just having a little fun with you."

Silent treatment.

She took her last sip of wine in the glass and placed it on the side table. Daniel stood in front her view of the TV and she said coldly, "Could you please move. I can't see the TV."

"Wilhelmina, don't be like that."

"Like what?"

"Its such a nice night tonight comes back outside with me." He reached out a hand to her.

Silence.

"Fine. I'll leave you alone. If that's what you want."

Daniel retreated back outside to clean up, shaking his head, feeling so bad and chastising himself for ruining the mood. Upon hearing those words, she instantly looked at his re-treating form. A pang of regret instantly washed over her. It was silly to ruin the pleasant evening they were having over something so petty. She groaned and went back outside. As Daniel turned to go back inside with his hands full from cleaning up, Wilhelmina met him at the threshold.

"I don't want to be alone. Come watch a movie with me." She grabbed the tray from him and started walking to the kitchen, not giving him a choice.

Daniel smiled to himself. He could get used to having her around in this capacity, he just had to get used to her moodiness. At the office it was simple, she was just a bitch, but outside the boardroom, he notice how she had to battle herself to mellow out.

They sat in silence as they watched the movie, an action flick with Angelina Jolie. They were about an hour in, and as they sat on the same couch facing one another, both leaning on the side rests, Wilhelmina wiggled her feet under Daniel's leg for warmth.

"Are you cold?"

"A little."

"Come here."

"What?"

"Come here."

"Come where?"

"Here, lay with me. I'll warm you up."

He watched as she thought about it for a second but she slowly began moving to his side of the couch. She sat down in the middle and reclined into his body, spooning her waist. She moved her hair and Daniel watched as she exposed the bruised part of her neck to him as she lay down. He instantly felt a pang to protect her. He pulled her close to his torso and held her tight. It felt good to be in a man's arms in that way again. She marched on for months after Connor doing her best to hold her resolve and her head high, but in the pit of stomach she relished in the feeling Daniel was giving her. She didn't understand any of it, but that in that house she let go of all the bullshit resolve that she was expected to be, and instead gave into what she wanted to be. Wilhelmina reached for the blanket and pulled it over their two joined bodies. They continued watching their movie in silence.

Around three in the morning Daniel awoke to the sound of TV infomercial. Realizing the time and the fact that he fell asleep with Wilhelmina wrapped up in his arms, he didn't want to wake her. But he also wanted her to have comfortable night's sleep. He turned the TV off and shook her gently.

"Wilhelmina?" He whispered in her ear twice before she stirred. She groggily moaned.

"Come on, we can't sleep on the couch." Daniel whispered, his deep baritone voice in her ear gently lulling her enough to send goose bumps down her neck and chest. Daniel instantly noticed them.

"I'm fine here."

"No, come on. There is a big comfy bed with your name on it upstairs."

She pulled at his hand on her waist and said, "Stay here." The embers in the fireplace cracked as they started to fizzle out.

"Come on Wilhelmina." He whispered in her ear softly.

She opened her eyes, looked around the room, and kicked her feet like a child at being awoken, kicking the covers off simultaneously. Daniel laughed at her reaction. It was kind of endearing know the hell raiser she was in the boardroom. Wilhelmina had temper tantrums like a bratty kid.

Daniel followed her up the stairs and turned off the lights downstairs. He was a few steps behind her as she made her way to the door of the room she chose. Something in his instincts told him to reach for her hand. He guided her to his room a few steps down the hall on the opposite side and ushered her through the door. She didn't protest. Instead she smiled and closed the door behind her.

He gently leaned her against the door, still hand in hand and stared into her blue eyes. In the dimness of the room, they still were able to capture Daniel and remind him of how alive, how needed, and how comforted he felt at that moment. Her chest started to rise as her heart started to pound at the way he looked at her. Daniel's skin instantly caught a chill and with in seconds he felt a fire tingle his nerves. The closeness of the proximity and the moment of the unknown was enough to make them both realize what was happening between the two of them. Not to make presumptions Daniel leaned in enough to have Wilhelmina meet him half way if she was feeling what Daniel was feeling at that moment. Wilhelmina's lips came at Daniels slowly, apprehensively but mutually. The kiss was gentle, temptingly slow and exploratory. They broke the kiss and looked at one another again.

Searching one another, both couldn't understand it but neither questioned it. Neither said a word. Daniel brought her hands to his lips and pulled her from against the wood door.

They climbed into the bed and wrapped into each other's bodies as they had downstairs, as though they had never awoken from the comfort of their dreams in the first place.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The Hamptons- Day 2

Daniel stirred in the large bed attempting to reach over for Wilhelmina. As he tapped around the mattress he realized she was nowhere to be found. He looked around the room and saw the time by the bed stand. It was ten. He slept so soundly that he didn't even realize when Wilhelmina slipped out from under his hold. As he moved to get out of the bed he realized there was a note on the pillow.

_Good morning, _

_Got up very early, went out to the market. _

_Didn't want to wake you. Be back soon. _

_W-_

Daniel couldn't help but smile at the gesture. He had known Wilhelmina for years, and true most of the memories were antagonistic but he never really hated her. He was sometimes confused or agitated by her agenda or motivations but now looking back at everything that transpired between the two of them over the years, none of it mattered after all. They knew one another quite well after all the years and they were two very different people after the months of change that passed. Seeing the new sides of one another's personalities was an unexpected comfort that they both didn't expect. In all the chaos and darkness came a solace knowing one another and starting to build a new type of trust between them. He started his day on a new foot.

As Daniel skipped down the stairs to the kitchen freshly showered and dressed in a dark grey sweater and blue jeans he saw her standing at the kitchen table drowning in a sea of flowers and foliage. She was dressed in an embroidered crème lace and mesh long sleeve top, white jeans and nude Christian Louboutin platform sling backs. He could hear her singing and humming absentmindedly to herself to the song on the radio as she arranged a large bouquet of flowers. Daniel stopped at the image of her. He had never in his wildest dreams thought that she would be the flower arranging type or that she had such a beautiful voice. As Wilhelmina realized she had company in the kitchen she looked over her shoulder at him and slightly blushed being caught singing to herself, "Good Morning Daniel."

"Good Morning. The Hamptons really agree with you."

Daniel walked over to her and kissed her on the lips similarly to the way he kissed her last night. The fragrances of the flowers and the sweetness of the pastries on the table and her perfume overwhelmed his senses. Wilhelmina met his lips with the same intensity. The taste of his lips was like a piece of savory fruit at she had been craving for months that she didn't even know she wanted. She was happy to know that he was decisive and not apprehensive around her. He deepened the kiss by pulling her body towards his, as Wilhelmina's arms stretched around his neck deepening the kiss, pulling herself closer into his body. In the moment Daniel forgot that her back was still sensitive. Wilhelmina winced slightly against his lips, which didn't go unnoticed.

"I'm so sorry, did I hurt you?"

"No, its only certain spots. It's feeling better actually." He gently ran his hands down her back trying to sooth it.

"I got your note this morning. What did you buy?" He gently pecked the spot on her face that wore the small bruise on her cheek.

"French Pastries, fruits, veggies and some other basics." She said in his ear.

He separated from her and asked, "Did you eat yet?"

"I did, I couldn't wait for you. The croissants were just too delicious to pass up. They were still hot when I brought them to the house. But if you tell anyone I stuffed my face with two…"

"You ate two! Wil-hel-mina!" He teased her with shocked tone, as he ripped into one with his mouth now stuffed with pastry.

"You're making a mess with crumbs!"

A barely audible mumbled "Sorry!" came out of him when he picked up the paper and sat across the table from her. Daniel threw his feet up on chair and started to read the financial section. Wilhelmina looked at him from across the table. If anyone didn't know their history one could easily mistake them as a couple at how at home they were around one another. He could feel her eyes on him, but he didn't look up. She snipped at the lilies and started to place them in spherical design. He just continued reading enjoying the moment. "So, what's your plan for the day?" Daniel asked.

"Well, when I'm done here with the arrangements I don't know I was planning on doing some work for Mode…"

"Mode?"

"I had Marc courier the book and some files over to me yesterday before we left, I thought it would be the perfect time for me to fill you in. May be we could even strategize the best way to handle Hartley."

"Sounds good. Then what?"

"I don't know may be a little wine, a little dinner…like last night"

"You think you can schedule a walk on the beach with me somewhere in that busy schedule of yours? It's a nice day out there."

A few hours later after discussing Mode business, and lunch they headed out to the beach. The heat wave made the mid September day warm enough it could have been mistaken as a day in early summer. They strolled bare foot side-by-side making light conversation talking about various things and enjoying the feeling of sand between their toes for almost a mile. Wilhelmina stopped in her tracks when Daniel said, "You know, the last time I was on a beach was with Molly, in the Caribbean."

"Do you want to head back?" Daniel bent down and picked up a white smooth stone and launched it into the ocean like a little kid.

"No. Its time to move on, accept the moment for what it is and make new memories. Besides, I like it here with you."

They walked a little further down, coming closer to the lighthouse up ahead. Daniel broke the silence, "Do you miss him?"

"Who Connor?" The wind blew her hair in her face as she tried to stall, contemplating her answer.

Daniel nodded at her.

"I suppose. I mean I'm still angry with him and resent him in so many ways I lost count, especially what he did to Meade and Mode, and for taking everything from me. But the nights are the hardest. Sometimes I can't turn my mind off, there are nights when I wonder where he is, who he's with, when and if he'll ever come back, if he still loves me, if he thinks about me…"Wilhelmina stared walking again, not wanting to look up at his eyes.

"He's the biggest fool in the world for turning his back on you. He never deserved you. If I ever saw him again, I would kill him for all the damage he has done, and I'm not just talking about the money."

Daniel held his place and waited for her to stop in her tracks. She turned slowly to him and walked back to him. He tilted her chin to look into her crystal blue eyes, slightly squinting from the sunrays. They locked eyes and Wilhelmina ran a hand down Daniel's arm to his hand and linked her fingers with his. She pulled him down with her to sit in the sand as they turned their attention to the green ocean beating large waves against the shore. She leaned on her thighs outstretching her bare feet in the sand. Daniel sat with his large biceps perched on his knees.

There was something about that place that caused Wilhelmina to open up to Daniel.

"I now see that he and I were doomed from the start. We never had a chance. It was all so cat and mouse. It was a strategic game. You and Molly were a different story. You were friends first and it was genuine. With Connor and I, it was all a strategic game of conquer and deceive. I had to have him no matter what the price. I didn't care who and what got in my way. I got him and in return my cunningness and my methods awoke the real monster Connor had buried under that stand up guy façade he carried on for years. Think about it, he never would have pulled that shit with Molly. They were together for five years, it took him just five months and he left me in an inferno of chaos. What does that say about me?"

"You can't blame yourself. This is who he was all along, you didn't do this." Daniel put an arm around her back and ran it up and down gently trying to sooth her guilt.

"You know, sometimes I have to tell myself he is dead to keep me from having a breakdown. I grieved him for months. I mean the life I dreamed of for so long was ripped away from me within moments. The type of man I always dreamed of for myself was all just a dream that lasted moments in the grand scheme of things. I never deserved that type of happiness. It was karma coming back ten fold for everything I had done over the years." She just looked at the waves crashing the shoreline. She couldn't look at Daniel because she could feel the pools of tears start to come up. The burn of the warm wind in her eyes was a welcomed feeling.

"Wilhelmina, no one act justifies another. He played you, he played me, he played us. It wasn't just you, trust me. You do deserve happiness, especially after all the moments where you had no choice but to survive without going down without a fight."

"Do you know what its like to have to call the FBI on the person you love? The guilt you feel...like a dirty rat, like you had no loyalty to your love, just to do the right thing? It's fucked up. It plays games with you. It breaks you down with no remorse."

"I had no idea what you were going through." He looked at her again, this time catching her eyes. She turned to face him and said, "I wished I could have taken off like you did and sort through all this shit. I was humiliated. But then I said to myself I would have probably gone crazy if I thought about it too much. I would have been admitted to a padded room in Bellevue. I felt just as dead inside as you did Daniel. I understand why you went into such a dark place. I don't judge you because nobody but me could understand why you did what you did. For you it was putting yourself in the line of fire to chase a life risking thrill, for me its to channel all my rage, sadness, failures, brokenness into the boardroom. When I instill fear in people I feel powerful, when I snap a bitchy comment, I get to say the things I wish I could to those I want to. When I burn the midnight oil and put out an issue that smashes the numbers, I find the pride and stride to keep going because I'm clearly doing something right. Its not the best method but it works. That's why I wanted to be there for you, if you need me, because I know how difficult this can be. I'm still battling it but its much easier now than it was months ago."

"Isn't it crazy how things work out? I mean who would have ever thought you and I would be here in this place, together, there for one another after everything?"

"We understand one another Daniel."

"You know I owe you Wilhelmina."

"For what?"

"Well for a lot but actually for saving my life, for giving me hope again, for teaching me by example, and for helping me connect again. After the darkness that I was sucked into, it was you who brought me back to life. I mean I know I still have work to do, but I know I'll be better for it because of you."

"I think that's the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"C'mon, let's head back we have quite a walk ahead of us still, besides there's not much to see past the light house except trees." Daniel pulled her to her feet and didn't let go of her hand all the way back to the house.

It was late afternoon and Wilhelmina had crashed taking a nap on the couch in the living room for a few hours. He didn't even realize that she was asleep, but he didn't want to wake her after her early start and past days events, she needed to get caught up on her sleep. Daniel was rummaging around the kitchen preparing the steaks and veg he wanted to grill for their dinner. The BBQ was working over time and as he came up from the wine cellar with his choice of the evening, he heard his mobile ringing. As he went to go pick it up, it went to voicemail. It was his mother.

Daniel noticed that there were several missed calls through the day. May be it was something important. He decided to call her back.

"Hi Mom."

"Hi Daniel. I've been trying to get a hold of you all day. Where have you been?"

"I'm up at my place in the Hamptons. I was out all day."

"Are you alright darling?"

"I'm doing fine up here, it is perfect here. It's everything I never thought I needed. Is everything alright with you?"

As he asked the question he noticed Wilhelmina come into the kitchen through the swinging door.

"I received a call from the FBI today."

"What did they have to say?"

"I'm sorry darling that I have to be the bearer of bad news but Connor Owens is…"

Daniel noticed Wilhelmina look over at him and mouth 'who is it?' he didn't quite hear what Claire said on the other end.

"Sorry mom what did you say?"

"Connor Owens is dead. They found a body riddled with bullets identified as his this morning. It washed ashore in the Caribbean."

"Oh my god…so what does that mean?"

"They are closing the case. The money is gone."

Daniel punched the wall he was standing in front of with such force Wilhelmina jumped out of her skin. He left a big dent in the wall causing the painting to fall off the nail it was balancing on.

"I got to go Mom." Daniel hung up on Claire and went into a fit of rage throwing everything off the counter, launching his phone at the wall, and breaking various things. Wilhelmina just watched him as she shouted at him to "Stop!" When he flung the elegant bouquet she worked all morning on to the floor causing it to fly in every direction Wilhelmina yelled at him "DANIEL! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"

He breathed a like a caged animal, pacing while he ran his hands through his hair he stared into nothing on the floor. The steaks were burning on the BBQ and the smell of burning meat brought Daniel back from his black out of rage.

Gently Wilhelmina said, "Who was that and what happened?"

Daniel went outside without a word and went to go salvage the food on the grill. He removed everything and slammed the lid down with force as he came back in, walking around the mess he made of all the broken glass all over the floor.

He plopped himself on the chair at the head of the table and tried to regain his bearings.

She tried again, "Daniel, look at me." She walked toward him and placed her hands on his broad shoulders and shook him slightly. "Daniel what happened?"

He looked up into her concerned eyes and began, "It was my mother."

"What? Did she find out I was up here with you and she cut you out of the will?" She tried to lighten the mood, "C'mon Daniel it can't be that bad. What happened?"

"Wilhelmina sit down please." The control in his voice was beginning to concern her.

Wilhelmina sat down and he grabbed her hand as he said, "Connor's dead."

"That's a lie. He can't be…it has to be a mistake. Call your mother back, she's lying!" Wilhelmina began bargaining her denial with over compensating force, her words were sharp and over enunciated like she was talking to Daniel like he was stupid.

"The FBI contacted her this morning. His body was washed ashore. It was full of bullet wounds. My guess is he was trying to do something with mobsters, as he had a lot of liquid cash. Wilhelmina, I am so sorry." Daniel gently offered, a far cry from his reaction moments ago, as though he was in his own denial.

She let one tear roll down her face, as her eyes were wide as saucers staring at Daniel. "It's fine. At least I have answers now. If you'll excuse me." She ripped out of his grip and walked to the stair case up to her room to lock herself away for a few moments to regain her control, except when that the door shut she fell apart, too tired to keep walking up that hill she had been scaling for months. He was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Day 2…Continued.

{Thanks again for all the reviews! Hope you enjoy this one…}

Daniel had sat at the kitchen table picking absentmindedly at the food he grilled moments ago, recalling the events that just passed. He sat alone and in silence. The evening was supposed to go very differently. He and Wilhelmina were going to wrap up their perfect day with dinner, wine and each other's company. But nonetheless, he sat in silence, alone.

He re-poured his glass of wine. He washed the feelings away with a gulp of wine, trying to push down his nervous fits. Every time his mind went back to the money he felt another fit of rage start bubbling up. He was angry with his mother for having broke the news to him and in turn having to break the news to Wilhelmina. Their whole weekend was complicated enough, and now to have very real reminder of unresolved feelings and issues with a person in both their pasts, was a weight neither needed added to their delicate balance on their shoulders.

This weekend was meant to remove anything preconceived, hurtful or complex. What a turn of events a five-minute phone call could make.

Daniel sighed deeply and sat back throwing his face into his hands, rubbing the stoic look that was written all over his face. His eyes surveyed the disaster zone in the kitchen, flowers and broken glass on the opposite side of him on the floor, magazines flung in random places, impact holes in the wall, a cracked picture frames and painting face down on the floor. He couldn't help but think to himself that he still had work to do. He couldn't fly into fits of rage without leaving a path of destruction. It wasn't healthy. Especially after the wash of guilt and humility he felt after, as though he was set back from the few positive steps he took in a day. He knew he didn't like what he was feeling. He knew he didn't like Wilhelmina seeing him lose control like a brut who had no control over his conscious thoughts. As Daniel stared at the impact crater on the wall where his fist met the hard surface, he realized he was ashamed that he couldn't control his anger. He physically attacked the one place that brought him comfort and peace over the years. He took it out on the walls that shielded him for years, and in turn damaged and tainted his safe haven.

As he came down from his nervous thoughts he began to feel his right hand throb from the impact of the wall. It was already tender from the previous night.

Daniel decided to clean up the kitchen and try to erase the aftermath. _Maybe if the path of destruction was gone, it would be like it never happened? _

He started with the painting and frames and placed them on the counter. He came around the kitchen table and picked up the magazines and gently stacked them, one by one, trying to avoid the small pieces of glass in the vicinity. He then picked up each beautiful flower that piled up on the floor, soaked in the mess of spilled water and chards of broken glass. He stacked them in a pile.

All of Wilhelmina's precise work that morning was now a pile of rubble in the aftermath of Daniel's fit of rage. He instantly felt regret for flinging it the floor without a second thought. In the morning it was a beautiful representation of the woman herself and by the afternoon it was nothing more than pile foliage with no order, no structure, no arrangement, just a small pile of disorder. But there was still beauty in the breakdown of the bouquet. Daniel tried to lay the flowers down in a way that he could maybe still place them in a vase and show Wilhelmina that her work was not all done in vain. He tried to salvage them. He tied a piece of string around them that he found in one of the drawers in the kitchen and then began to sweep the broken glass from around the table. In the silence, Daniel calmed. But in his thoughts kept replaying what had just happened. He sighed every once in a while at the heaviness in his mind.

With Wilhelmina retreating to her quarters, Daniel was sure that she didn't want to be disturbed but he wanted to do something for her. May be some tea?

A few short moments later he knocked on the white wood door separating him from her. At that moment Daniel wanted nothing more than to be near her and comfort her. He would be fine even if it was in silence.

There was no answer.

Daniel tried again.

"Wilhelmina? I made you some tea. If you're hungry I can make you something too."

No answer. He didn't even hear her stir. He knocked again.

"I'm going to leave it by the door if you change your mind." Daniel gently offered and placed the small tray with the teapot, china and small vase with a beautiful white rose from her arrangement on the commode beside the door.

He made his way back downstairs.

Daniel started another fire in the living room and decided it might be good for him to hang out outside for a bit to get some fresh air. He grabbed the bottle of unfinished red and his glass and opened the double doors to the veranda and allowed the sea salt air calm him. He stared into the nothingness in front him. The sky was now dark and the pounding of the waves played in the background as a soundtrack, making him painfully aware there was no one else to share in it but him, by himself.

He stood there leaning against the doorframe, staring into the darkness, thinking about what Wilhelmina might have been going through upstairs. At least he had definitive answers with Molly. At least he had the luxury to actually grieve her, but in Wilhelmina's case it was guessing game…but now the shock was probably enough to tear her strong resolve apart.

He decided he would try her again in some time. He needed to know she was ok.

As Daniel finished the last sip of wine he turned on his heel to bring the glass and bottle back to the kitchen.

He came face to face with Wilhelmina on the opposite side of the living room. He didn't even hear her come down the stairs. How long was she standing there in silence?

In the dimness of the living room, only now lit by the fire dancing in the pit, Daniel could see that her eyes had been swollen from the obvious tears that she had shed for Connor. Her frame was uneasy and stiff. Wilhelmina crossed her arms in front of her chest, with her shoulders high full with tension. Her lips were slightly parted as though she was about to say something, but nothing came out. But her eyes…they once again mesmerized Daniel. He had never seen them emote in such a powerful unwavering way. She never took her eyes off him. They pleaded with him and Daniel couldn't deny her anymore. He put down the empty bottle and glass on the side table by the couch and stalked over to her. They wordlessly looked at one another searching for a way to fix the last few hours that had passed.

Daniel placed a hand on the place on her body where her arms crossed and gently pushed down to open her body to him, breaking the last barrier between them. She obliged without any hesitation, but her eyes followed the motion of his hand, still brushing her torso with his fingertips through the thin veil of fabric of her top. Her blue eyes swept up from their hooded state and found his eyes again.

Daniel's hand wrapped around her back and pulled her against his taught chest and brought her to her tippy toes to kiss her full lips. It took her mere seconds to respond to his kiss. Their mouths battled as though they searched one another for something unknown, but with each deepening of the kiss they found the answer.

The feeling of Daniel's powerful chest against her was enough for Wilhelmina to feel like she was loosing her mind. At that moment she willed herself to forget her grief, to forget her past, and live in the moment. She was tired of running up a hill that became steeper and steeper with everyday that passed. Maybe it was time to start on the road back down to reality. And Wilhelmina couldn't think of a better reality than Daniel's lips on her own.

In response of her thoughts, Wilhelmina tried to pull him closer to her body by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling up against him. Daniel pulled both her tops over her body, guiding them over her arms and her head tossing them somewhere into the distance. Each movement was more deliberate and filled with fervor, enough so that she brought herself high enough that she hopped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. Daniel immediately gripped her bottom, relishing in the feeling of her legs spread against his waist.

Wilhelmina breathlessly removed her lips from Daniel's and dragged them against his face, her chest heaving up and down dressed only in her crème balconette bra. Daniel breathed in her perfume under her jawline and kissed her neck. Trying to kiss away the bruises that still marked her neck, she focused on tugging at his sweater and t-shirt tucked in the hem of his jeans and Daniel immediately sat on the couch allowing Wilhelmina the leverage to lift it over his head.

Their lips met again this time the fever of the feeling of feeling their bodies partly undressed writhing against one another was enough to make them both feel like they were going to explode. Daniel expertly ran his hands down her spine, against her flesh that was still noticeably bruised but the sensual way in which he ran his fingers caused Wilhelmina to shiver noticeably in his arms. Her abdomen tensed and she responded by arching her back, pressing her chest to his mouth and in turn arching her hips into his now obvious erection strained in his jeans. The groan of pleasure that came out of Daniel was such a turn on. They both knew there was no turning back now. Daniel teased her through the this veil of mesh of her bra, feeling the slickness of his tongue, the warmness of his breath and the sharp flick as he dragged his teeth and tongue against a nipple, the pleasure spiked through her breasts and pooled between her legs. Daniel pushed the straps down tantalizing slow and unhooked it, throwing the bra somewhere in the room. Her soft moans were like a song of a siren that Daniel was now mesmerized by. He needed to keep hearing it.

Daniel expertly flipped Wilhelmina on her back on the wide plush couch and began kissing the trail down her abdomen to the sensitive spot of her lower abdomen. He kissed her and he dragged his tongue against the skin close to the hem of her white jeans. He lifted himself from her body and unbuttoned her pants tugging at them to remove them off her body. Her legs still spread around his hips, Daniel moved farther and farther away from her body down the couch to roll the pants off her long legs. He didn't mind the view beneath him as he marveled at her figure below him. In these tantalizing moments of silence, they could hear the fire crack and snap, similar to the desire burning between them. He took the opportunity to drag his lips long her calves, smoothing his rough calloused palms against her delicate skin. The feeling caused Wilhelmina's head to roll back and her back to arch again at the teasing feeling soft textures and sensuality. Daniel just wanted to taste her, every last inch of her. As his lips dragged slowly on the inside of her thighs the song of her moans came back to Daniel. His fingers played for a mere moment on her panties and the anticipation was torturous. Wilhelmina couldn't wait any longer for the feeling of a release under Daniel's touch. She began sliding her panties down her hips for Daniel to get the hint. A small smirk played on his lips watching the image below him. In response he brought his lips to her hip bone she had just exposed and deeply kissed the flesh and intertwined his fingers with hers slipping her panties down her legs.

Within moments his lips kissed her center. He teased her, he pleasured her, he released her. No longer did she belong to another man, she was Daniel's for that moment in time. Daniel slid off the couch and tugged her body off the edge to open her body to him and give her a reason to feel alive again. It was the final straw for her to move on. She allowed another man to take her to the edge of chaos where no consequence existed, no regret, no sadness. Hearing Daniel's name come out of her mouth at the pleasurable assault he inflicted with his mouth was enough for Wilhelmina to will the thoughts of Connor away, to give her body to another man again without vain, and release in an orgasm that her body had been yearning for months. Under Daniel's expert touch Wilhelmina gave in and let go. She was a free woman again.

Her body heaved uncontrollably; her cries moments ago were the sexiest sounds he had ever heard as he tried to breath with no avail as he too was out of breath also. Daniel kissed her thighs to calm his lips and tongue slightly numb at how hard he worked to get her there quick. A thin veil of sweat began to envelop their bodies from the heat of the fire a short distance away and the passion between them.

He stood up over and Wilhelmina lifted herself to a sitting position. Her face was level with his torso. She placed both hands on his waist and back and kissed the ripped muscular abdomen around his navel. Her tongue traced the lines leading down to his manhood. He was the perfect male specimen to her. Wilhelmina undid his belt and the buttons of his jeans as he perfectly manicured fingers traced a portion of his manhood. He inhaled quickly and abruptly at the feeling of her hands and mouth so close to him. Her fingers linked into his briefs and jeans as she tugged them down his thigh simultaneously. His size surprised her…pleasantly. Her eyes looked up at him and his hands went to her chin holding the gaze for a moment. Her hands absentmindedly finished dragging his garments down to his feet to step out of them. Their eyes never broke.

He willed her to her feet by silently pulling her to her upwards to his face, his fingers still balanced her chin. They kissed once more, but this time the passion was uncontrolled, it was a freedom that their bodies found in one another. His hand found his way into her hair and the other feeling her backside under his touch. Wilhelmina recklessly explored his chest with her hands bringing them lower to his erect member massaging him. When he felt her touch, he lifted her with one hand and dragged her body up his so she again wrapped her legs around his waist. The feeling of his cock teasing her entrance and Daniel knowing how close they were to coming together in the most intimate way caused him to moan into her mouth, he couldn't wait any longer. Their lips smacked against one another, enough so that it gave them enough time to breathe in between the wild and reckless abandon. Daniel walked Wilhelmina to the plush rug closer to the fireplace. He bent to his knees and gently placed her on her back, both in a very vulnerable position, her legs still loosely wrapped around him.

Both breathed heavily. This was the moment where the past wouldn't matter anymore. Everything was about to change. To be respectful Daniel said, "Wilhelmina, are you sure? We don't have…" What he didn't expect was what was going to come out of her mouth.

"Daniel, I want this to happen more than you know. Unless you…"

"I need you Wilhelmina and not just physically. I just don't want you to regret…I don't want to find you gone tomorrow after we…"

"No, I won't. I'm not going anywhere. I'm here with you."

She removed one of his hands from her hip and kissed his fingertips. Daniel wrapped the hand around the back of neck and gently ran a thumb across her lips and the soft skin of her cheek. He watched as she closed her eyes and he inhaled deeply as he pressed himself into her opening to her soul. Their bodies came together at such a slow pace that they could both feel their heart beats increase within seconds. The intensity cause Wilhelmina to arch her back and thrown her head back at the feeling of Daniel inside her. It took her a few moments to adjust to his size and the soul shaking feeling that escaped her lips.

Daniel heeled over on top of her at how alive her felt at that moment. The closeness and the bond he felt with Wilhelmina was a crushing weight he didn't expect to feel.

He kissed her tender flesh of her neck. As their eyes met again, the look was full of adornment and awe. He began rocking within her and her hips began meeting at the perfect moment. Their movements were so synced that everything was magnified. It wasn't just sex anymore, Daniel and Wilhelmina made love to one another. She held on to Daniel's bruised flesh kissing his shoulder still decorated with a dark bruise, willing away any pain he may have felt, crying out as he motioned an abrupt change of pace building a release that she knew would change her once it was over. Daniel held on to her thighs and hips like his life depended on his grasp. He needed to fell more of her as he thrust sensually. He never felt that with any other woman. His gratification didn't matter at that moment, he just could let her go. He needed to feel her, hear her, taste her. He wanted to will everything that hurt her and make it better.

Wilhelmina squeezed her thighs around Daniel and with all her strength, turned him on his back, never separating their bodies, she began to ride his length. She linked her fingers with his and wanted to give him pleasure too. Their bodies were covered in a sheen of a glow from the sweat that their bodies were now covered in. He watched in awe of the woman he was with, he was falling for her, and instantly a fear in Daniel awoke. He didn't want the moment to end because what if he never got to feel her again, or be with her again? What if she would be ripped away from him? With this tinge within him he sat up coming face to face with her, and with urgency he pressed on her hips to continue riding him, as his lips had to kiss her. He didn't want to let her go.

Something with Daniel's desperate touch and how he wrapped his strong arms around her caused Wilhelmina to release in her tremor of an intense orgasm. She never felt more needed, wanted, or even loved. Daniel felt her within moments contract under his touch as he continued to guide her hips as her resolve was falling apart under the pleasure wave she was riding. Her cry as she reached the peak of her orgasm was enough for Daniel to ride his last waves of self-control. Within moments he too burst within her and they stayed paralyzed at the intensity of what happened between them. They lazily kissed one another and came down form the ecstasy overwhelming them.

Their eyes never separated. They searched for nothing anymore. That night Daniel and Wilhelmina found love in a place where everything felt hopeless. That night, the two broken souls searched for nothing anymore because they found it in one another.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

[Author's note: Sorry for the extended delay on the next chapter. It's been absolutely chaotic with work, school and extended trips to the Caribbean but I have written an extra long chapter to make up for the delay…Enjoy!]

**Day 3 – Hamptons **

Daniel reached for the French doors to his terrace balcony and quietly opened them, immediately letting in the warm sea breeze and tart air into the bedroom where Wilhelmina lay outstretched in the waves of white comforters and sheets behind him. She was still fast asleep after their exhausting night of lovemaking.

It was relatively late in the morning but Daniel was still a little surprised at how apprehensive he was thinking of the events of the night before. He slept restlessly afraid what the light of day would bring that morning. He was secretly afraid that the memories and their mutual actions would send ripples of change that Wilhelmina wasn't ready to face. He was afraid that the woman he got to know over the past few days, albeit in very extreme circumstances, would slip through his fingers and she would be back to her hell raising ways as soon as they returned to the city. He wished he could stay with her here forever, the same place where she opened her heart to him and he was willing and ready to receive it after the hopelessness he thought he would feel forever after Molly.

Daniel quietly stepped out on the washed-out wood terrace and leaned on the railing watching the emerald waves lap the shore. The sun beat down on his bare back and the warmness of the rays surprised him yet again for a September morning. It truly was a piece of heaven on earth, and he took in the serene scene in front of him and emblazed it in his memory. He told himself when he would feel the rattle of rage this would be the moment he would come back to, the quietness of the moment and the peace he knew he could find by willing it back to the forefront of his thoughts. He knew how fortunate he was at that moment, before Wilhelmina awoke, before everything became real, he knew he was living a dream- a dream house, the peacefulness of nature, and the touch of an extraordinary woman. Daniel willed his strength, pushing his fear aside, whatever would happen, would happen. He wouldn't blame Wilhelmina if she would go back to her old ways, but he prepared himself either way.

Deep in his thoughts, he didn't even hear Wilhelmina make her way to his perched form on the railing. She wrapped her arms around his waist and brought her lips to his back, drawing lazy kisses with her lips against his flesh, and across his tattoo. She dragged her lips and in between each kiss she said, "Good…Morning…how long…have…you…been up?" Her nails raked against his rippled abdomen and down to the tie of his sweat pants.

He relished in her soft touch and the warmness of her body insulated by the sheet she wrapped against the soft curves of her body. He relished that she needed him the way he needed her. The feeling of her sensually dragging her lips on his body told him she was unafraid, that she wanted him around, that she wanted him to be near her. Daniel's deep voice answered, "Not too long…maybe ten minutes ago."

He sounded a little distant to Wilhelmina, like his mind was a million miles away. "Come back to bed with me" Wilhelmina demanded as she tugged at his body.

"We have to leave today." Again the tone was not what she expected out of him. Wilhelmina pushed his arm off the railing and slipped in to face him. She ran her hands along the length of his biceps and caught his eyes.

"I don't want to."

"Me neither."

Daniel kissed her letting go of his last bits of fear.

He lost himself in the kiss and they both panted at its intensity. There was something definitely between them that neither could explain and neither could deny.

Wilhelmina stared at his lips and ran the back of her hand across his face. She turned and leaned into his body as he wrapped his strong arms around her and kissed her collarbone. They both stared into the vast body of water and let their thoughts and fears escape with the time they spent in one another's touch.

They both knew when they returned to the city all their problems would be back to plague them. They couldn't run and hide any longer, but they could delay it, just a little longer.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Right now?"

Wilhelmina nodded, looking up at him as Daniel held her firmly around the waist pressing her a little tighter to his body, holding her like he never wanted to let her go.

"I can't tell you." Daniel playfully teased her. In truth he was thinking how he was falling for her. It scared the living hell out of him.

"What? Why?"

"Because, if I tell you we will never leave this house, and we need to be at work tomorrow."

"Work can wait."

"I'm sorry, WHAT?" He was dumbfounded, did that just come out of her mouth?

"I know… that even hurt me a little bit."

They both exchanged a giggle and Daniel pulled the sheet from around her and let it drop to the veranda.

"Well, I don't see why we couldn't spend a few more hours in bed. I mean it is a lazy Sunday..." Daniel's deep voice gave in to the woman in his arms.

That evening Wilhelmina walked into her condo, looking around feeling as though the events of the last few days were a whirlwind. What a difference a few days could make. She felt as though the darkness in her condo dissipated when she walked in.

The pink New York sky let in a beautiful warm light through her palatial windows, lighting her apartment in the most stunning manner. She knew a pink sky meant a beautiful next day. She knew it no longer felt like an ice palace, with dancing shadows along the vast elaborate walls and memories that whispered from the walls. It went quiet. She smiled in spite of herself. She no longer was apprehensive to be alone in her home, in part thanks to Daniel and that weekend away.

She walked toward her answering machine in the kitchen and saw that there were ten messages waiting for her. She debated a short time whether she should play them back, knowing at least one would be about Connor. She didn't want to deal with that, not just yet. She preferred to revel in the feeling Daniel left her with. She had enough chaos for a few days.

Wilhelmina dug through her Prada and found her Blackberry. She powered up the device, as she decided she didn't want to be disturbed that weekend after her ordeal. When Marc dropped off 'The Book" on that Friday, she decided it would be best to power off the device and slip away from the everyone and go off the grid.

As the phone came to life it was like it was possessed. 150 emails, 11 voicemails, several texts. She scoffed in spite of herself and shook her head as she left it on the counter to prepare for her workweek. As she walked away her phone vibrated and enticed her with a single notification. It was Daniel.

_Daniel Meade: Tomorrow can't come soon enough. Goodnight Wilhelmina _

She smiled and bit her lip like teenager at her locker, a soft blush coming to her cheeks. She leaned against the kitchen counter and contemplated what to write back. He was being romantic. She secretly liked it, even though she often self-proclaimed not to be such a "girl".

_Wilhelmina Slater: Goodnight Daniel, Sweet Dreams…not to sweet though, we both know I'm more sour than sweet_

_Daniel Meade: Only when you're at the office or when you haven't had your first coffee of the day. Come to think of it, work from home tomorrow LOL _

_Wilhelmina Slater: I guess your charm is limited to small doses Romeo LOL_

_Daniel Meade: Just like your girlie moments drama queen… Goodnight. Wish you were here tonight. _

_Wilhelmina Slater: Me too, Goodnight _

The next morning Wilhelmina strutted down the tube, clad in a black tight bandage dress with long sleeves and a small turtleneck to hide the ruminants of bruising on her body. Her hair was draped to her left side with her long side swept bangs to cover the last scaring of the bruise on her face. She didn't bother to remove her oversized Balenciaga shades, allowing the intimidation factor to just tell the story that she wanted people to perceive, when in actuality she was giddy as a teen to see Daniel again after their weekend away. When she walked into the Meade building, it was a different tale. She was a powerhouse, and that fact would never change.

As she turned the corner to her office she saw Marc spring to his feet and follow behind her babbling a drabble of incoherent words at a very fast pace and a very high pitch.

"MARC! I suggest you remove your wedged undergarments from places I don't want to know about and start over like a normal human being because I can't understand one word out of your mouth at that octave. I'm sure I know why there are dogs barking in 5 mile radius now."

"Snap! Bravo before your morning coffee."

Wilhelmina walked to her desk and put her purse down ignoring him.

Marc waved his hands around dramatically with a flamboyant gesture, and started again, "Not that I'm not liking this look, because I do, but why are you wearing your shades inside? It's a little too gangsta rap star or a little too Fey Sommers…even for you."

"Thank you for your unsolicited opinion Marc. I should have your tongue for sport for the Fey Sommers reference." Marc cringed and then he came to a quick realization as he lowered his gaze at his insensitivity.

"Oh I get it…Are you in mourning? You know about…well you know… Oh I'm sorry Willie, I'm so insensitive."

Wilhelmina looked down at her dress, and realizing she still had her shades on, and what it must of looked like. Truth be told, she didn't do it intentionally she was just trying to hide the scars on her flesh, but now that she knew people knew about Connor she figured she would just let people think what they wanted.

"So you've heard? News travels fast."

"Yes. I'll leave you be, I'm sorry again Willie really. If you need anything..."

"It's fine. Messages?"

"Um yes, nothing that is urgent enough that we can't review in our daily at 10 except your lawyer called on Friday and again this morning saying it was urgent. He said that he tried reaching you several times this weekend but it was unable to get through."

"Anything happen on Friday that I should know about?"

"No, just what I collected for the book. Where were you on Friday?"

"I had personal matters to attend to, not that I have to be answering to you."

"Of course not. I was just worried. I felt like something wasn't right."

Wilhelmina looked up at Marc and removed her shades, staring at him for a short while, her hair still covering her little secret. She was touched at his concern and how in tuned he was with her but she had to remain stern, business as usual.

"Thank you Marc. That will be all, I will see you at 10."

He nodded at her with a meek little smile and retreated out of the office.

Wilhelmina sighed deeply, this was going to be a long day.

She walked over to the narrow window on the side of her office and caught Daniel's profile sitting at his desk reading his emails from a distance across the terrace separating their offices. As though he felt her eyes on him he turned to meet her gaze. She winked at him and he smiled. May be it wouldn't be so bad.

In the late morning Claire walked into Daniel's office to have a chat with him with the latest developments from the FBI and give him more details since she hadn't spoken with him after that call on the weekend.

"Hello Darling." Claire entered apprehensively.

"Hey Mom" Daniel looked up, his tone a lot lighter than it was the last time she saw him on that Thursday of his return.

"What happen to your face Daniel? Are you ok?" She began walking closer to get better look at the bruise on the side of his face.

"Oh, uh…I got into a bar fight this weekend." He lied, it was the first think that came to his head.

"A bar fight?" She questioned not believing her grown son would still scrap at a whiskey hole, especially in a classy place like the Hamptons.

"Yeah, a guy…uh…recognized me and dropped some shitty comments and I snapped. Told him to back off and he kept harping so I decked him…"

"Daniel Emerson Meade! You know better than that" She schooled him like he was still nine. He would always be her little boy even though he was very much a man.

"It's fine Mom. I took care of it."

"Honey may be you should get some therapy after Molly, I mean you barely have had a full conversation with anyone here at the office…" Claire started and Daniel scoffed at the comment, ironically opening up to the one person who his mother would have never guessed, Wilhelmina. She was all he needed and that's what mattered to him. "…Don't scoff at me Daniel. This could be good for you. I mean last Thursday was just so uncharacteristic of you when you returned, you didn't even tell anyone. And don't think I didn't hear you punch a wall when I called you on Saturday."

"Look Mom, I'm fine, I just need some time to adjust. If things don't improve then I will take you up on your advice."

"Ok, just think about it. That is quite a welt Daniel."

"It looks worse than it is."

"Look at your hand! Are you sure you are ok?"

"Yes Mom, please lay off. I'm doing really well actually, better than I thought I would. Just let it be."

"Ok. So is that it?"

"No, I actually came in here to talk about Connor and what the FBI told me today."

"What's going on?"

"Well, I am not sure how to handle this delicate situation."

"What are you talking about?"

Claire inhaled deeply and started, "It involves Wilhelmina."

"Wilhelmina?" Daniel panicked a little bit, did his mother know about the weekend?

She nodded, clearly agitated. A moment of tense silence enveloped the room. Daniel felt his heart begin to beat.

"They need someone to identify the body. It's pretty mangled from what I understand and since she was involved with him she will be the best person to identify him most accurately, you know scars, bodily markings. They have been trying to get a hold of her all weekend but she couldn't be reached. I don't even know if she knows about Connor yet."

"She does."

"Is she ok?"

"I think so, she's here today." Daniel knew this was going to be bad. He knew she didn't need this set back.

"How does she know?"

"I told her."

"You spoke with her this weekend."

"Uh huh" There was some truth in what he told his mother, it was better he just left it at that.

"Oh… what do think the best way to handle this is? God knows I don't get along with that woman but even I don't have the heart to put her in touch with the FBI and have them break the news."

"Let's go tell her together."

Wilhelmina heard a knock at her door and looked up to see Daniel, a small smile began to form but disappeared when she saw Claire follow on his heels. Claire shut the door and pulled the curtains closed to the large circular window. Wilhelmina couldn't help but think that was odd that Claire would take it upon herself to touch her things in her own office with such a commanding presence.

"Not that I'm not the slightest bit intrigued to know why your touching my things in my office Claire darling, but keep your skeleton hands off my things before I…"

"Wilhelmina, Daniel and I both have something serious to speak to you about and…"

Wilhelmina sighed and started, "I already took care of it…" she looked at Daniel and smirked, he looked so cute in his navy suit and powder pink tie.

"You did?" Daniel asked flabbergasted at how snide and cool she was acting.

"Yeah, this morning. It makes sense that I am the only one who could get the job done…" Wilhelmina sassed, as she stood up and sneeringly held her position.

"So your ok?" Claire asked quizzically as she furrowed her eyebrow at how cavalier the woman was being.

"Claire, has the years of booze clouded the last few brain cells you have left and turned them to sludge? I said I took care of it."

"Well, you are holding it together remarkably. As a woman, I have a new found respect for you Wilhelmina." Claire's voice and body language was so strange, Wilhelmina couldn't help but think. It wasn't that serious.

"It's not that big of a deal, it's fine."

"Not that big of a deal? You loved this man…" Daniel interjected, a little hurt at how she was able to dismiss a man she claimed to care about. Is this how she would be if they wouldn't work out. Did she even care the way she said she did.

"Wait, what are you talking about Daniel? I was talking about Demarchelier pulling out of our Holiday spread due to scheduling conflicts and I got him back this morning. I just changed the shoot to Rome, rather than shooting here in New York."

Claire and Daniel both looked at one another and shared a somber look. This was clearly a big misunderstanding. They now both knew they had a heavy cross to pass to Wilhelmina.

"What?" Wilhelmina looked to both Daniel and Claire, her eyes darting at the two of them.

"Wilhelmina, I hate to be the person to tell you this but the FBI has been in contact with my mother this morning and they need you for something serious involving the

investigation."

"Have to spoken to Agent Matthews?" Claire asked.

"No, he has been trying to reach me this morning, but I have been tied up with other things. What is going on? Do they think I have something to do with it?"

"No that's not it at all."

"Then what?"

"They need you to identify his body."

Wilhelmina wordlessly dropped into her chair and stared ahead of her book into the glass table. Absent mind, she sat like a statue, her face etched in an unreadable manner.

Claire stared at her. Always being very sensitive to matters of the heart, she sympathized with Wilhelmina. Claire's eyes began to betray her and began to fill with tears as her hand went to her mouth. The fear and heartbreak this woman must have been going through was enough for Claire to really feel for her, for the first time in her life.

Daniel brought his hand to his forehead and saw the set back in her eyes. He saw the pain and the nightmare she must have been going through in her head. Daniel walked over to her chair and turned her gently to face him. Her eyes were still blank. He knelt down, not even caring that his mother was in the room. He looked over at Claire and saw the sympathy in her eyes. Daniel gently brought his hands to her hand and shook her gently, trying to get her attention and said, "Wilhelmina…"

No answer.

"Wilhelmina…look at me."

Her eyes focused on Daniel's blue eyes and blinked back tears. She just looked at him, blankly, as blank as Daniel's eyes were the night in the fight club when their eyes met in that dark place. She saw Daniel but she looked through him.

Daniel felt a pang of hurt at her look, he knew the warmness, that light, that love he felt from her emanate over the last few days were gone in a flash, again because of Connor. Daniel's fear of the previous day came true. Wilhelmina slipped through his fingers.

She ripped out from his touch and she said unfeelingly, "Leave, please."

"No Wilhelmina. Talk to me!" Daniel was beginning to get agitated.

"I said leave."

"Daniel darling, give her some space. Wilhelmina if you need to take a few days, we will understand. Meade will give you as much time as you need" Claire offered comfortingly.

Daniel and Wilhelmina's eyes never parted, they just stared at one another. It didn't go unnoticed by Claire. There was something in that stare down.

"Daniel, let's go. Wilhelmina needs to cope. Send me a note when you have decided how you would to proceed Wilhelmina ok?"

A "Yes" was all Wilhelmina could offer.

In a huff Daniel got up, angry with Wilhelmina and her reaction, angry with the situation, angry that he felt like he was losing her, angry that she lied to him. She told Daniel she wasn't going anywhere and she would be with him and within a day she was gone. Most of all Daniel was angry because she wasn't allowing him to be there for her. He left without looking back.

Claire watched him go, slamming the door shut on his way out, causing Claire to jump out of her skin.

Claire turned back to Wilhelmina and her unchanged blank expression.

She slowly stocked over to Wilhelmina and stood in front of her. Claire brought her hand to her chin and willed her to look up into her eyes, sympathizing with the woman for some strange reason, and wanting Wilhelmina to know in this unworldly situation, she had an unexpected ally.

As Claire tilted her face, what surprised her was not the fact that Wilhelmina didn't rip away from her but the small gash and covered bruise on the far part of her cheekbone, which now revealed itself as her hair moved. Claire did a double take and turned her face to take a more precise look. Something wasn't right.

"Wilhelmina…are you ok?" Claire's tone was almost motherly.

Wilhelmina gingerly nodded her head and looked to the floor unable to control the tears now.

"I am very sorry Wilhelmina."

"It's fine" one tear rolled down her face. "I need a moment."

"Of course."

Claire made her way out the door as Wilhelmina's chair turned toward the window.

"Claire?"

"Yes."

"Tell Marc I don't want to be disturbed."

Claire made her way back to Daniel's office and saw that he was steaming pacing the length of his office, hoping to simultaneously trying to catch a glance of Wilhelmina in her office. She looked over her shoulder at Betty who looked like she was terribly concerned as she stood in the hall staring at her friend in such distress.

Claire shut the door and offered.

"Darling are you ok?"

"I'm just so….so….so…ANGRY!"

"Calm down darling."

"She doesn't deserve this! That bastard keeps screwing with us."

"Daniel, I understand but you have to keep a level head."

"How can I?"

"I didn't realize you cared for Wilhelmina that much."

Instantly Daniel calmed down rattled by what his mother just said.

"It's not that mom, come on…it's just that …it's just…no one can move on, we both just keep getting sucked in vacuum of the past all because of that dead prick. Now she has to grieve and I understand her, that's all. I feel bad for her, just like you do."

"Ok. I am going to count on you now Daniel to pull it together for Mode because chances are she will be on a leave of absence."

"Yeah ok. Look I have a meeting in ten. I need some time to just pull it together."

Daniel sat down at his desk and sent her a quick email.

_TO: Wilhelmina Slater_

_FROM: Daniel Meade_

_CC:_

_BCC:_

_Subject: Here for you_

_Willie, I'm not going anywhere. Whatever you need, come to me._

Later that evening, the Mode offices were emptied with only a few left in the building, Daniel being one of them. The master lights had gone out in the building, only leaving the small desk lamps that had been turned on. He hadn't heard back from Wilhelmina all day. He was too hurt to face her again and her blatant rejection cut him deep, enough for him to have a difficult time leaving the office to go home to his empty apartment.

Daniel began collecting his items to head out, he had enough for one day. Adjusting back to his old life was proving to be a more difficult up hill battle that he thought, especially when his one ally was no where to be found, like she promised.

"Daniel"

The voice came like a soft whisper on a cold breeze. She stood at his door and began walking toward him.

Wilhelmina came to him and wrapped her arms around him. She gripped him tight and held him like she did at the beach house, willingly and without a shred of hesitation.

He returned the tight hug, more appreciative that she was back in his arms. He kissed her shoulder, her collarbone and her neck though her dress. She could feel his breath in her ear and wanted nothing more than to feel how alive he made her feel after the news about Connor made her feel nothing but death and coldness.

"I'm not going anywhere. Thank you for waiting for me." She whispered in his ear and she kissed the side of his face, each kiss closer to his lips.

Daniel deeply kissed her and wanted to take all the pain away from her. When they separated Wilhelmina said, "I need you to come with me tomorrow. I just need to know your there."

"Anything."

In the darkness of the offices of Mode, Claire stood wide-eyed and shell shocked at what she just witnessed between Wilhelmina and her son, the words exchanged, and obvious feelings between the two of them. There was more to this story, but now was not the time.

She had to leave.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

[Author's note: This next chapter is a little intense. It is a little dark but I want to follow the story through. I wrote an early chapter of Daniel's dark moment, now Wilhelmina will need to run up her hill… I tried writing very tense and clinical account of what these characters had to account for to get them to move-on. It's a tough one but I hope you enjoy!]

That evening, without waiting on Wilhelmina to ask, Daniel escorted her home and stayed the night with her, as he did days ago. He hoped his presence would help easy her nerves once again and help lull her anxiety over the news she was dealt that afternoon. He couldn't imagine the horror of the next morning's events would conjure up. He couldn't imagine what was going through her head being reunited with the man who left her jilted and without answers, however in very morbid circumstances. He knew Wilhelmina was a strong woman, but these circumstances were a tunnel of darkness that no person, even Wilhelmina, couldn't help but fear. Daniel could see, no matter how much she would recluse behind her steely persona, her demeanor and behavior gave a clear indication that she feared walking through that dark tunnel without hope to find a light at the end.

Wilhelmina sat paralyzed on her couch staring into nothing. Her body language was ridged and introverted. The woman who stood like fortress in the most impossible circumstances now sat like a pile of faltered bricks. Daniel gently took a seat beside her, wordlessly.

He knew at this moment all he could do was offer support. Connor was Wilhelmina's past and no matter how strong his feelings for her came on in the last few days in the unworldliest circumstances, he knew he needed to let her grieve. He was sure there were going to be moments of rage, denial and sadness, after all he was privy to an outburst earlier that day.

But Daniel knew at that very moment, looking over to her profile, these were the moments where his test in patience would come into play. These were going to be the moments where he was tested as a man. These were the moments where his character would be put through the ringer. He couldn't meet her outbursts with his own rattles of rage and sadness no longer, no matter how much she was going to push him away. It wasn't about him anymore. It was time to set aside his baggage and help the woman in front of him, whom he realized he had come to care very deeply. After all, no one could understand the motions she was about to go through better than Daniel. He made a decision at that moment. He was going to be there for every step of the way, in any capacity that she needed him, without question, without pretense, without judgment. It was time to let go of his past and be present for the person he made a place for in his heart, Wilhelmina.

Daniel leaned back on the couch, and ran a hand down Wilhelmina's back. His initial touch didn't cause a reaction. She was still a million miles away. As Daniel ran it back up to her neck, he gently began massaging it and her body shifted as he instantly began releasing the tension she didn't consciously realize she was holding. Wilhelmina leaned back into Daniel and rested her back onto Daniel's chest, wordlessly letting a sigh go. Daniel ran a hand over her hair and kissed the side of her head. He sat with her like that in her trance like state for a few hours, until she was ready to retreat to her bed, wanting nothing more than the next day not to come.

"I'm going to bed…" Wilhelmina sternly stated as she moved away from Daniel's touch. He instantly felt the coolness envelop where her body was once placed "…Are you coming with me?" Wilhelmina asked as she got off the couch, letting the exhaustion take over her as she yawned the words. Daniel instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Of course. Willie?"

"Yes?" She looked over her shoulder.

"Whatever happens tomorrow, I need you to know there is nothing too heavy that can come our way that I won't be there. I'm behind you." His voice was steady, calm and collected, almost monotone, not wanting to be too emotional for Wilhelmina. He needed to assert his position as her support system.

Wilhelmina inhaled deeply and softly offered, "I don't want to do this tomorrow, Daniel" Speaking the first time about how she really felt.

"I wish there was something I could do to take away this burden from you. Do you want me to try and appeal to Agent Matthews if I can go in your place?"

"No. I need to see him to be sure, but I'm…afraid. I don't want to be haunted by what I see."

"Aww, Wilhelmina." Daniel reach for her and wrapped her in his strong arms and kissed the top of her head. When she tucked her head under his chin Daniel continued, "I promise, no matter what happens tomorrow, as hard as it's going to be… each day will get easier. You'll start to forget it and all you will be left with are the memories of the good. There were days that felt so dismal… I was so haunted by the events of the last few months that I thought life would never be worth living again. I understand these are different circumstances but in the end Willie…my dark haunts… they led me to you, and the way I feel today, even compared to a week ago, I know I had to run up that impossible hill to see the top and what was on the other side. I promise somewhere, someday, your heart and mind will be eased. Tomorrow will probably be one of the hardest moments of your life, but I need you to tell yourself, you aren't alone."

Wilhelmina ran her hand down Daniel's arm and linked her fingers with his and gripped his hand tight, thankful for his comforting words. Daniel lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. She couldn't look at him, she was sure after hearing his words he would see right through her.

Without a word, Wilhelmina pulled Daniel from his place and walked him to her chambers. There was nothing left to say that night, Daniel had said it all. She wanted nothing more than to be held by this man who had quickly become her salvation, renewing her strength and power in the most unlikely of circumstances.

The next day Wilhelmina had emerged from her closet clad in a black couture power suit, clinched at the waist by a black patent belt and matching platform pumps. Her lips were crimson and her hair was pulled back and pinned in soft wave. Daniel had gone home to shower and change and he was going to meet Wilhelmina at the Federal Bureau's building.

That morning she took her time, she was avoiding what she had to do like the plague. Wilhelmina walked over to her side table and opened the drawer. Retrieving what she was looking for.

It was picture of her and Connor.

Wilhelmina scanned it and let herself look at him for the first time in weeks. She wanted to remember him in this moment and not for what she was going to have to endure. Wilhelmina wanted to say goodbye to him for the man she remembered and not the man that she may have to come face to face with in a few short hours. It was the only thing she could think of to help her deal with her anxiety. After a few moments staring at his face, without so much as darting an eye even at her own image, only seeing him, Wilhelmina willed herself off her bed, put the photo back in the privacy of her drawer and made the steps out of her condo, strong in her conviction.

At the Bureau's facility she was met with two attorneys and Daniel. One was her own and the other was Connor's, instantly recognizing the man in the charcoal suit. Wilhelmina offered him a curt nod and sat down in the waiting room awaiting the Agent's that were assigned to the case.

"Ms. Slater" she heard Agent Matthew's distinct Brooklyn accent vibrate through the concrete walls greeting her. "Mr. Meade…I didn't expect you here." He shook Daniel's hand and then reached for Wilhelmina.

"Yes, moral support." Daniel offered softly taking a step closer to the group.

"Agent Matthew's this is my attorney Mr. Phelps and of course you have been in touch with Connor's attorney, Mr. McNamara." They all greeted one another somberly under the circumstances. Wilhelmina's voice was strong and assertive.

"Of course. This is Dr. Eric Levine." The agent gestured to the man to his right. "He is head of our forensics team. In a high profile case such as this, he wanted to be sure to answer any questions or concerns you may have with the best pool of knowledge we have. I understand the legalities have been taken care of?"

They all nodded and their eyes looked at the doctor as he began, "Ms. Slater when you are ready I will take you through the doors to do the identification. Let me just outline that I know how difficult this is going to be for you but I need you to focus on birthmarks, markings, scaring, in order to make a positive identification. We will make this process as comfortable as we can, given what we have summoned you for. Is there anything that we can do for you before we proceed?"

"Can Daniel go in with me?"

"Yes. But we will need him to make no comments, and not to interfere with the investigation. Mr. Meade, can you abide by these terms?"

"Yes, of course." Daniel nodded as he ran a hand to the small of Wilhelmina's back.

"Ok. Ms. Slater when you are ready. Before we go in, I will brief you ahead of time of the questions you can expect from me in the room. It will be about a 5-10 minute process. When you're ready…"

"I'm ready." Wilhelmina nodded and shifted her weight uncomfortably.

Daniel and Wilhelmina followed the agents into the cold examining room. It looked like an operating room, everything was steel and it smelled so sterile that the breath caught in her throat, and Daniel's eyes began to water from the stunt sharpness of the air. Wilhelmina turned and looked at Daniel with a soul-penetrating stare that made him want to just reach for her. But he couldn't, this was now a federal investigation.

Wilhelmina's stiletto's beat the tile floor with a vicious echo, each step, prolonging, heavy and anxiety ridden. She slowly made every step closer to the steel table at the center of the room. Daniel took a few steps closer and stood beside her. He figured he would stay as close to her as possible before the agents told him that he needed to move. But no such instruction came. Daniel took a deep breath and reached for Wilhelmina's hand in support. She intertwined her fingers with his and held him before the reveal, unable to look up at Daniel. The anticipation and fear were palpable, but he would never show her that he was just as petrified as she was, but his heart willed him to be her strength.

"Ms. Slater, I am going to remove the cover. The first question I am going to ask you is if you can identify the person beneath."

She nodded furiously and swallowed noticeably the big lump in her throat.

The cover came off.

Her eyes instantly shut tight. As she heard the cover come off she opened her eyes and felt like her lungs were crushed by the magnitude of the situation. Wilhelmina felt her heart stop.

"Ms. Slater, can you identify the body by full name?" Agent Matthews asked, seeing her eyes scan the face in front of her as her eyes started a noticeable panic, moving furiously. Wilhelmina took a step back in shock at the image in front of her. She inhaled sharply as her free hand went to her mouth as she gripped Daniel's hand with such force her hands and limbs went numb. It was her worst nightmare.

"Connor Owens." Wilhelmina stated the echo reverberating through the examining room.

After just a few short minutes in there, Wilhelmina had to get out of there. Her head was spinning, her heart was pounding and she felt sick as the reality was sinking in further as she answered every question with as much control as she could muster.

Wilhelmina bolted out of that room as fast as she could back to the waiting area. She slumped into an empty chair and began hyperventilating coming to grips with the magnitude of the situation. Daniel followed her until he saw her heaved over taking in deep breaths that were uncontrollable. She was in such a daze that she knew Daniel was saying something but she couldn't come down to reality. It wasn't until she felt him trying to put a bottle of water to her lips before she started to hear his coaxing and felt his hands run along her arms and legs.

After several minutes of Daniel and the attorneys doing everything they could to calm her, creating a small commotion, her breathing steadied and she looked up at Daniel, his blue eyes calming her almost instantly. She just kept focusing on him in front of her. She could now make out the words around her even though her ears were still ringing from the lack of oxygen by her episode of hyperventilation.

Both her attorney and Connor's spoke with the agent's as Daniel knelt in front of her soothing her back to a state of calm. She finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Daniel?"

"Yes, Wille?" Daniel ran a hand across her cheek.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

Daniel helped her to her feet and led her to the washroom. She wordlessly walked through the swinging door to the ladies room out of his sight.

Daniel leaned his head against the door, the coolness of the metal calming his nerves. This was going to be harder than he has anticipated. The image Daniel had in the forefront of his mind was difficult to bear, never mind the thoughts and emotions Wilhelmina might have been dealing with.

"Mr. Meade?" The voice of Wilhelmina's attorney interrupted his thoughts. He turned around to focus on Mr. Phelps.

"I know Wilhelmina is dealing with a lot now having identified Mr. Owen's positively but there is still one small detail that she will still be needed for."

Daniel saw Connor's attorney approach as well.

"Hasn't she been through enough for one day? What ever it is it can wait!" Daniel growled protectively.

"It is the reading of Connor Owen's last will and testament." Connor's attorney offered gently knowing that this was a very delicate situation.

As the three men looked at one another, the door to the ladies room opened, revealing a suspicious and apprehensive Wilhelmina.

"What's going on?" Wilhelmina's eyes darted from one man to another.

That evening Wilhelmina sat alone in her condo. She hadn't moved from her place, where both her lawyer and Connor's counsel left her several hours ago. She sat staring at the crème envelope that was given to her, her name scratched on it in Connor's illegible writing.

Wilhelmina couldn't bring herself to open the last piece of sealed and preserved ruminants of the man she believed for so long to be the love of her life. It wasn't a long love affair but it was definitely not short of passion and intrigue. Now all she was left with were the bittersweet memories, the haunts in her heart, and a piece of paper.

She poured another glass of bourbon and downed it. Wilhelmina had too many thoughts running through her mind and all she wanted at that moment was to be numb, starting with her heart. She was on her way with her mind.

That afternoon, Wilhelmina had respectfully told Daniel the reading of the last testament and will was something she wanted to do alone. It was something she needed to do alone. There were too many unanswered questions that she wanted to address in the privacy of her home with both attorneys present. Everything in the last twenty-four hours was so surreal that she couldn't drag Daniel into anymore of it. She needed her own way to face and grieve without a safety net. She had to face it alone, head on.

Wilhelmina still couldn't believe she had just listened to her lawyer address the legalities of burying Connor in his final resting place…burying a man she loved so dearly and intensely. It's like the pieces of the puzzle weren't fitting. She couldn't believe she would be having to arranging a service. He had no family, no children, no siblings. It was his wish for Wilhelmina to do the honors since, as he put it in his testament, she was "the one person who loved me so completely, so truly that even if she was the only person at my final resting place, I would know I lived completely and truly. I would know that none of it was in vain because I had the love of the most extraordinary woman in the world. Loving Wilhelmina was the greatest honor ever bestowed upon me. But if she can't it is understandable after what I did to her."

But, it was all too much for her.

Wilhelmina would follow through on his wishes, it was the least she could do for him now that he was back in her life in the most surreal of circumstances, and not in the way she dreamed of him one day coming back.

Wilhelmina sniffled into a tissue and downed another generous amount from her crystal glass. She was ready to open the letter, she was tired of running way.

_Dear Wilhelmina, _

_If you are reading this letter, I am gone. _

_I wanted to write you a letter, my final words and thoughts on the greatest love I found in the short time knowing you. _

_I am writing this letter sitting on my boat, watching the infinite horizon of waves lapping somewhere on the shores of where you are. The sun is setting and I find myself thinking and dreaming of you every day in these moments. Sometimes in this quiet peacefulness I imagine you are here with me. This is what I envision as heaven on earth. But if you are reading this, I'm not sure there is an elevator going upstairs for me, so I will enjoy this heaven as long as I have it._

_I am not a good person, but I am far from soulless. Somewhere in the depths of my darkness you managed to ignite a light, a fire, a goodness. Whatever the circumstances that I am gone, I need you to know that I died a happy man for loving you Wilhelmina. I want and need to apologize to you for all the hurt, suffering, confusion, and anger I ever caused you. Not a day goes by that I don't think about you and think about the magnitude of my actions in your life._

Wilhelmina took a deep breath and needed a moment. The tears she released were of relief, of comfort, of a quiet joy that she still had something from him that she could hold to her heart knowing that these words were relatively recent. For so long she had no contact, no idea, no answers. It was almost like he was there telling her these words she needed to hear to deal.

_There is another element to this letter. I want to do right by you for all the wrong that I have caused. In my actions of running away I set off a chain of reactions that now as I write this, in the finality of everything, I know has to be righted. I want to know that you will be forever taken care of. I want to ensure that I can at least know that when I am gone you will be better, happier, and filled with new promise. _

_Wilhelmina, these next nine digits will be the key to unlock all my private accounts 008031029. If my attorney has given you this letter it means he has made all the necessary arrangements to put everything in your name. You are officially the holder of the keys to the kingdom, my queen. All you need to do is use the pin to unlock the accounts, use it to right all that I have wronged…most importantly you. _

_If I don't make it home to you one day, I need you to know that I have died a very wealthy man, but only truly rich in the love I had for you. If I don't make it home to you I wish you a lifetime of happiness, and I hope you find a man who will love you the way deserve to be loved – fully, completely and unconditionally. I hope you find a person who will know how formidable you are and what a rare creature you are to be cherished and treasured…and sometimes be terrified of [I hope that made you smile]. Most of all, I hope you find a man who will love you more than I do. _

_I am gone, but I hope not to be forgotten. I hope you keep a small part of your heart for me when you do move on because you need to know that when my last breath comes, you will be my last thought. You, Wilhelmina Slater were the greatest love of my life and I thank you for letting me in to love you. _

_Eternally yours, _

_Connor _

_Farewell, thou art too dear for my possessing,_

_And like enough thou know'st thy estimate._

_The charter of thy worth gives thee releasing;_

_My bonds in thee are all determinate._

_For how do I hold thee but by thy granting,_

_And for that riches where is my deserving?_

_The cause of this fair gift in me is wanting,_

_And so my patent back again is swerving._

_Thyself thou gav'st, thy own worth then not knowing,_

_Or me, to whom thou gav'st it, else mistaking;_

_So thy great gift, upon misprision growing,_

_Comes home again, on better judgment making._

_Thus have I had thee as a dream doth flatter:_

_In sleep a king, but waking no such matter._

_Sonnet 87 Shakespeare_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

[Author's Note: This is the last chapter. Thank you for reading and reviewing! I enjoyed writing this one, but it was a challenging one taking the characters through the motions, but I am pleased with it and I hope you all are too! Hope this inspires some more Daniel/Wilhelmina stories out there! XO]

It had been several weeks since Daniel had last seen Wilhelmina. The only contact he had with her was a few work emails that she sporadically sent responses to. On that fateful night when Daniel parted with her at Connor's will reading, that same evening she sent Claire an email that she was taking some time away, but Wilhelmina hadn't specified exactly how much. The unanswered questions were driving Daniel crazy. He was worried sick. He missed her. He wanted nothing more than to see her, to be there for her and support her. He knew the grieving motions she must have been going through, and with her personality to suppress and carry on, it scared Daniel even more. Would she be a different woman when she returned? Would she even return to him? The same woman he had fallen for, or would he have to let her go?

It was just around nine in the evening and Daniel found himself wandering the empty halls and offices of Mode. He roamed around thinking about the various memories over the years he had with her, the good, the bad and the ugly. He thought about the man he was when he first walked through the halls of Mode as a naïve, chauvinistic rich-boy, who had every advantage given to him. He had worked for nothing, sweated over nothing and even if he did, he would booze his stresses away or abuse any of life's pleasures. He lived on the edge of chaos in those years and cared about no one but himself, that was until he crossed paths with Wilhelmina. She was an unexpected teacher in his life. In a reverse deal of fate, her trying to tear apart his family, bring him down in the boardroom, and humiliate him made Daniel realize how important his family's legacy was, how much he cared about the people who stood loyal to him like Betty and his mother in the epic battles with this woman. Through her tough run with Daniel, Wilhelmina managed to open his mind, challenge him and because of her, he found his stride, and found himself as a man. Every step of the journey that brought them together he now saw that she had meant more to him than he let himself believe. Most people meet in some twist of fate, fall in love, grow from that love and eventually end up together.

But they weren't most people.

Their journey needed to happen in these extraordinary circumstances because they were extraordinary people, each with a pile of baggage that all became too heavy to carry anymore. Daniel and Wilhelmina found one another, and found in each other, something so powerful and undeniable that eventually hate turned into respect, respect to sympathy, sympathy to friendship, and because of that friendship came protection, tenderness and in his case, love.

Daniel turned the corner and made his way through the door to Wilhelmina's office. He scanned it in its desolation. She was everywhere in this room, from the impeccable décor to the rigidness of its order. He walked over to her chair and sat in it, willing himself to feel like he was a little closer to her. Daniel's face was long and tired. He ran his hand down his face and exhaled a deep breath that he was carrying in the pit of his stomach all day. He couldn't tell anyone the thoughts running through his head and how heavy his heart felt. He was tired trying to keep all afloat at Mode, all the while with his partner missing, and consequently having no answers about the woman he cared for. He had to keep it together and stay strong for Wilhelmina and not let her down at Mode like he promised her. He had to fight through his demons without her and learn how to cope and manage without her there.. In that he knew he would come out the other side stronger, slyer and more controlled. But at times it was harder than he would have ever imagined.

Daniel in his state of exhaustion rubbed his eyes and felt immediate relief as he carried so much tension in his head. He kept his hand over his eyes and sat there for a few moments lost in his thoughts, not hearing the approaching footsteps.

"Daniel?"

"Hey Mom." He sounded so defeated to Claire's ears.

"What are you doing in here honey?"

"Why are you still here mom?"

"I have a late dinner with Cal so I just stuck around to do some work. Are you ok?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, so what are you doing in Wilhelmina's office?"

"Thinking."

"About…?"

No answer came out of Daniel. Claire watched his profile obviously stressing about something and she had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with the woman who had vacated that particular office.

"Daniel, talk to me. I'm worried about you."

"There's no point, you wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"You're off to a dinner, just leave me alone. Its not that big a deal." Daniel turned his chair round to face the window as he monotonously drawled out the words in a low unfeeling tone. He shut down to the thought of his mother picking the man who was on his way to taking his company away from him. He was still angry to some extent with Claire for fraternizing with Cal and complicating the business of his family's legacy.

"It sounds to me like it is…" Claire offered baiting him. She had an idea what this was about but she needed Daniel to open up to her with his defenses down.

Claire reached for her mobile and rang Cal. "Cal darling, I am going to be a little late for dinner…. Just order me the filet mignon and I should be there before it arrives….ok….no, just talking to Daniel about Mode business, I caught him on my way out…uh huh, I'll fill you in at dinner…ok see you soon. Ok Daniel, we have some time, you want to talk?"

Daniel sighed, not sure to where even to begin.

"Before you go off the rails, what I'm going to tell you, I don't want to hear resistance, I don't want to hear a lecture, and I don't want you to get upset. Ok?"

"Ok."

"I've fallen for Wilhelmina. And I am beside myself with how I feel about all of this."

"I know."

"What?!" Daniel spun around in the chair to meet his mother's eyes in shock. Claire just looked at him with a sympathetic smile on her lips. Even in the dimness Daniel's blue eyes glowed with animation of shock.

"I saw the two of you."

"When?"

"The day we broke the news to her, weeks ago. I saw you two in your office that evening and heard everything."

"And you didn't say anything? Why?"

"I didn't say anything because it wasn't my place. I don't like it, not one shred, but you two have seemed to have found some comfort in one another and considering you have been to hell and back with one another and Molly and Connor, I can certainly see how it happened."

"You have no idea mom…"

"But I am worried that when she builds her armor back again, you will get hurt…bad. I worry for you Daniel more than anything. I know how much anger and resentment you must still be carrying after Molly…"

"That's the thing mom, Wilhelmina has helped me work through most of it. I feel like myself again to some extent, I guess a version of my old self is better way to say it. She's soulful when you least expect it. There is so much more to her than the hard, steel faced, fearless force that we know, in my case once knew. I understand her better now, why she did what she did over the years. Trust me mom, what I have seen in her the last few weeks when I returned, I never would have imagined. She is …she is… I can't even explain it…she needs me mom, and I need her."

"Well, I don't know what to say. Have you spoken to her since her leave and told her how you feel?"

"No, I don't know where she is or if she's ok? I mean want to give her space and not push it with her and be too clingy but I'm worried sick."

"Send her note. See how she responds. If she cares for you like you say, she will not want to put you through hell of your own thoughts. Explain to her what you just told me."

"I don't know mom…"

"Whatever this is with her, wouldn't you want to know where you stand? And move on with your life, whatever the outcome is. She has a lot on her plate right now but if she cares for you like you say, she will put your mind at ease."

"You're right. Thank you for listening."

Claire nodded and stood up ready to make her way to the door and leave. There was one more question that she couldn't quite put the pieces together.

"One more thing son…"

"What's that?"

"A few weeks ago, the day we broke the news to Wilhelmina, I stayed back after you left. As you may recall you were pretty beat up. You remember that?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well Wilhelmina had a bruise on her face too…do you know anything about that? I mean I just find it strange that both of you came to the office on the same day with battle wounds. Coincidence?" Claire's eyebrows shot up, questioningly.

"No, it wasn't." Daniel's eyes went to the transparency of the glass desk. "I don't want to infringe on her privacy, but lets just say I was there when only seconds mattered for Wilhelmina and she was there when things could have gone severely wrong in my life."

"Sounds intense. What really happened to you? Was it really a bar fight?"

The silence confirmed that Daniel wasn't ready to talk about it.

"Ok, may be another time…" Claire threw her hands in the air and stalked over to her son. Claire was slightly relieved to see the signs of her caring and level headed Daniel come back. Claire turned Wilhelmina's chair for him to face her and she put a motherly hand to Daniel's face to will him to look at her. "Call her, she may need to hear your voice if she is battling something, and if you two are really bonded over the events of the last few months, something tells me I'm right."

"Thanks Mom." Daniel stood and embraced his mother, grateful for the love she showed him, knowing how opposed she must have been to the idea of him and Wilhelmina in a relationship. He knew that these were the first few steps in healing their relationship after the months of darkness and strain.

That evening Daniel took a scolding hot shower, trying to purge the stress and tension his muscles had been carrying. He had gone to the gym after his talk with his mother and tried to focus his energy and build up his gall to reach for his mobile to call the woman he loved. Every time he tried he put the phone down, his fear playing games with his bravado, afraid of the woman who would meet him on the other end. The steam filled his lungs causing his chest to feel heavier, adding more proverbial weight to his heart.

Now close to midnight he sat on his sofa, clad in the same flannel pants he wore in the Hamptons all those weeks ago. As he ran his hands nervously along his thighs, he couldn't help but think of that weekend with her. He reached for his phone and dialed her number. Hearing the first ring caused him to spring to his feet beginning the steady pace around his living room.

As he paced closer to his front entrance he could hear an echo of a ringing phone and voices in the hallway. He was concentrating so hard on what he was going to say to her that he ignored the background noises and just willed himself to focus.

He got her voicemail. He decided to leave her a message and not hang up.

"Hi Willie, its me. It's Friday the 28th actually it's almost Saturday. Anyway, I'm just calling to tell you I'm thinking about you. I haven't stopped since you left Mode. I miss you. It's amazing all the things going through my head, just call me or message me, I just need to know you are ok. I…I…I love you. Goodnight, wherever you are."

Daniel dropped to his couch in defeat. What the hell did he just do? He was supposed to check in on her, not leave her a confession on voicemail! It was like his lips were possessed, he couldn't help himself. The words were battling in his throat and he willed them out and as soon as the words left his mouth he wanted nothing more than to take them back.

He covered his face in his hands in his nervously started to rub his skin in his anxiety.

Within seconds his phone came to life… a text message.

"Open the door Daniel."

Daniel sprung to his feet and he whipped the door open to find the woman he had just confessed a piece of his heart to, actually scratch that, confessed to her voicemail. He stood there paralyzed and she with a small self satisfied smirk. Her eyes scanned his toned bare chest and her desire was apparent in her eyes after all these weeks. Unsure what to make of the look on her face, Daniel swallowed hard.

"So you love me?" She drawled with that eyebrow arched to the heavens.

"So you got my message?"

"No, actually I heard you through the door."

"You'd think in a luxury condo they wouldn't use such cheap materials for doors. I will write my super a vial note tomorrow morning. Imagine if it was top secret information someone heard?"

"Daniel…its Brooklyn! Besides you're avoiding my question."

"Where the hell have you been Wilhelmina?"

"Are you going to invite me in or are we going to do this with all your neighbors in ear shot considering the doors are as thin as paper."

He moved out of the threshold and invited her in. She was wearing a leather jacket with a black fox fur collar, black tight slacks and Christian Louboutin boots reaching her knee. As she passed him her scent caused Daniel to reach for her with all the pent up energy and feelings of not seeing her for weeks. He needed to feel if anything had changed, if she felt the same as he did.

Daniel pushed her gently against the back of the door and pressed his body into Wilhelmina. He looked down into her eyes with soul penetrating stare before he brought his lips to hers. He could see her chest rise in anticipation and his breath became unsteady. Daniel was sure his heartbeat was visible through his masculine bare chest. When his lips met hers it was like no time had passed. Daniel deepened the kiss the moment he felt her respond with a soft moan. The kiss made him feel like the earth crumbled beneath him, like nothing was the same again. As their passionate exchange continued he knew he had to separate from her before his self-control ran out.

Wilhelmina's eyes fluttered open and she found Daniel's blue soulful stare. He held her in place and ran his thumb across her lips as her lipstick smudged around the perimeter of her mouth.

She lightly offered, "You should see the mess on your face. I don't think that shade of red works on you Daniel. You should stick to a spring palette." She chuckled and wiped the red gloss off his face. She smiled at him with the most genuine heart-stopping smile. He grabbed her hand she used to clean up the mess on his face, and kissed the inside of her palm and her hand, down to her wrist.

"Tell me again Daniel." She drawled seductively, willing the man in front of her to say the words she needed to hear, the words she wanted to hear from the man she loved.

"I love you Wilhelmina."

"Ok, well thanks, it's been a slice …" She shrugged her shoulders and pretended like she was going to leave turning around and reaching for the knob.

"Hold it! What the hell was that!?" Daniel's hand went to the door and slammed it shut as she slightly got the door off the hinges. She started laughing at his reaction, he was so demanding and shell shocked. She figured she would play with him for a little while so the atmosphere didn't get to serious.

"What?" She turned to look over her shoulder wide-eyed an innocent.

"You make me put my heart on the line and you waltz out of here without another word! Plant your butt on that couch Wilhelmina we need to talk!" Daniel pointed behind him his tone very short and annoyed.

"So bossy..." She baited him and started making her way to the couch.

"This is not funny!"

"Yes, it is! You getting your manly panties in a twist and locked up in a place I don't want to know about."

"Willie!"

"Kiss me again!" She turned and pressed herself to his chest, clutching her red nails to his skin on his chest and tilting her head up and closing her eyes a la a 1940s movie.

"Ok easy there, Scarlett O'hara! Talk first."

"Ugh! Fine!" Wilhelmina rolled her eyes to the sky as she removed her jacket and tossed it on the decorative chair beside the sofa along with her small clutch as she sat down on watching Daniel's cool stride to sit beside her. Daniel sat at the edge turning his attention to her waiting for an explanation, his arms nervously leaning on his thighs as his hands met together.

"So, where the hell have you been all these weeks?"

"Well…I've been in the Caymans, The Bahamas, Switzerland, Paris and Queens." Wilhelmina said nonchalantly.

"Doing what?"

"Carrying out Connor's wishes."

"Oh."

"Before you ask, yes I am ok, I just needed my time with everything to sort everything out. Thank you for giving me my space Daniel." Daniel nodded and brought his hand to hers resting on her thigh.

She gave his hand a small squeeze and brought her lips to his ear and kissed it tenderly and then whispered, "I have something for you Daniel. It might help you understand a little bit more where I was and why I was gone for so long. Hand me my clutch." Daniel reached for it as she ran her hand over his bare back, the smell of his skin irresistible to her. Daniel shuttered feeling the softness of her fingers on his skin again.

Wilhelmina handed Daniel the letter from Connor and asked him to read it. At first glance, Daniel looked up and said honorably, "Willie, this is for you…maybe you should keep it just for you…"

"No, I want you to read it."

Daniel started scanning the etched words on the thick paper. His eyes started to widen as he got to the part of the letter about the Meade monies and he looked back to Wilhelmina who was sitting coolly in her spot with her eyebrows to the heavens and a smile on her face at Daniel's reaction.

"So does this mean…?"

"I have it all. Connor invested it in high-risk investments so what he spent he made back up quickly. I had to travel around to cash them out and make sure I took the legal precautions to make sure I didn't draw attention to myself. That's why I was gone Daniel. We can be free of Hartley first thing Monday morning. Everything goes back to how it used to be…"

"I hope not everything…" He looked at her hopefully.

"No, I take it back, not everything, too many scars and wounds to ever say that. Maybe I should say business as usual. You and I own Meade Publications once again."

"How about that? Connor did right by you in the end." Daniel noted thoughtfully.

"Yes he did. He loved me very much. I finally got the answers I waited for months for. Keep reading…"

Daniel read the most tender part of the letter and his eyes willed him to read the words over and over again for Connor's final wishes for the woman they both loved. Connor wanted her to move on and find love again. Daniel put the letter down and turned to face Wilhelmina with his full attention and said, "How do you feel after all of this?"

"Well, in my time away I went through many motions. I went through some that were common and easily waned to the surface, rage, denial, bargaining, solitude, exhaustion and then some of which I have not felt since I was a child like, grief, sadness, vulnerability. I buried the man I loved very deeply for a portion of my life, and with him went the dreams of what I once wanted. Once you go through that you can't help but change, as you know very well know. You can't help but question your life and what the rest of your story may become. Everything is fleeting, more desolately beautiful." Daniel could see her eyes fill with pools of tears, but none of them fell. Wilhelmina continued, "I was so consumed by that love that I didn't see what I needed, I saw what I once wanted. My ego took a beating, my heart was drowned in sorrow until I realized that the love that Connor wrote in his final letter to me, I already found in you. My light in that all consuming darkness was you Daniel, already in front of me. I have faith again and found my strength in myself to believe that I can live again not as the same woman, but a changed woman. Since you returned back to New York after Molly, I can't understand why we went through these trying times, but I realized that this winding road and the dance we have done over the years around each other was preparation to truly understand and face anything in our way. You protect me from myself and from harm and I guide you and put you in check. We can be unstoppable together Daniel. It's undeniable. We are enough of two different people to fill in the cracks when the world tries to tear and break us. You have yet to fail me, even though I may have failed you over the years, yet you love me. If that's not true love… I don't know what is."

"No you never failed me Wilhelmina. You were too busy on the opposite side for the first few years. In the time you joined me on my side of the street, you have willed me to find a similar strength. I faced my demons and came out the other side as a better man. You taught me patience again, you taught me how to have faith in people again and how to find it in the most unlikely places. You taught me how to love again, truly and wholly Wilhelmina." Daniel took her hand and kissed it.

"Can you imagine my surprise and shell shock when I realized that I had feelings for Daniel Meade?" She made joking big eyes and grimaced. Daniel looked at her and laughed, she was still dramatic and sarcastic to no end. He knew her heart opened to him, but her mouth would still be the same force and he was secretly pleased that part of her wouldn't change.

"Ok you made your point! So how do you feel about me? I want you to say it to me."

"Well Daniel, I love you, very much."

"So does this mean you're going to be nice to me at work on Monday since you looooove me?" he teased her as he swung her legs to rest on his thighs.

Daniel leaned in and brought his lips to hers before she had a chance to respond. Wilhelmina mumbled against Daniel's lips, "Not a chance Meade!"

That night, the two unlikely lovers united once again. In the most unlikely of circumstances finding their way back to one another, against all the odds, Daniel and Wilhelmina took the road up the hill that found them now both at the top of that impossible hill, ready to take on the cold word together. Daniel and Wilhelmina saw no darkness, no hopelessness because they had one another for the next road ahead, no hill too tall, too steep, too impossible.

THE END


End file.
